Melbourne Flames bring home the bronze

Ten members of Docklands-based dragon boat team, the Melbourne Flames, won bronze at the Asian Dragon Boat Championships last month.

The paddlers competed as part of the Australian dragon boat team, the Auroras, at the championships in Busan, South Korea.

The Auroras won six bronze medals out of a possible 10, with members of the Flames competing in each of the medal-winning events.

The team, which ranges in age from 18 to 60, competed in men’s, women’s and mixed events. Distances paddled ranged from 200 metres to five kilometres.

Melbourne Flames coach Serghei Cusca is also the coach of the Australian team.

Serghei said the result of the championships was an excellent outcome for the team.

“Every single paddler came back with a medal,” Serghei said.

According to Serghei, this was the first time every member of the Australian team had won a medal at the same event.  

Melbourne Flames and Aurora team member, Karen Morris, said competing against some of the top teams in the world, including China and Tahiti, was a challenging experience.

“It’s some of the hardest racing I’ve had to do,” Karen said.

Captain of the Melbourne Flames, Georgina Wakim, also competed at the championships as vice-captain of the Australian team.

Georgina said being elected vice-captain and competing against some of the best paddlers in the world had been a rewarding experience.

“It was rewarding to be on the journey with a group who all wanted the same thing,” Georgina said.

“We all wanted the best result.”