Members of the Cooloola Dragon Boat Club team. Where is Wally (aka Coach Sandra)?
Now that the Wide Bay Dragon Boat Series for 2022 has come to an end, the Cooloola Dragon Boat Club is back in training for the next series of Dragon Boat Regattas. First, on November 27, the Manly Regatta is held annually on Lake Kawana on the Sunshine Coast.
This regatta is a true test of team endurance. These are 500 meter and 2 kilometer races. This is a serious distance for paddlers and they need to be as fit as possible for the event.
Following the Manly Regatta, Team Cooloola will compete in the Gold Coast Dragon Abreast Club Regatta on December 11th. This event takes place in Currumbin and is intended to be a fun event, and to encourage the Christmas spirit, teams will dress up. CDBC’s costume arrangements are apparently strictly secret until the “big reveal” of the regatta.
Cooloola’s new training coach is Sandra Binnie – who is affectionately known as ‘Binnie’ or ‘Wally’. Wally as in ‘Where’s Wally’ because she has become a notorious photo-bomb and like the children’s book character Wally she can appear anywhere and anytime. See if you can find ‘Wally’ in the attached group photo…
It should also be noted that Binnie lives in Gympie, as do several other members of the Cooloola Dragon Boat Club; others come from areas such as Goomboroian and Rainbow Beach. A little driving is no obstacle to having fun on the dragon boat!
Binnie accepted the coaching role with flying colors. She introduced new training drills that will build endurance and body strength that will be needed for longer runs.
Don’t forget the Dragon’s Lair cafe in the Tin Can Bay RSL building on the third Saturday of every month when the market is open. There’s always plenty of great food for a quick breakfast or snack before, during, or after your market shopping trip.
You can see our menu in the attached photo. Cooloola Dragons member Jan Hughes is the “arty” dragon doing the menu calligraphy. The Dragon’s Lair is the club’s main fundraiser, so it would be good to see you there to enjoy the delicious food that is on offer.
If you would like to join the Cooloola Dragon Boat Club, please contact Coach Sandra on 0402 352 756. Remember that the CDBC offers beginners a free dragon boat trial.
Pamela Gorey
