How's everyone feeling after last weekend's MR500? I hope you are not overly disappointed with the results and the anti-climatic end to the women's plate-finals.
Our team has definitely achieved its objectives of taking part in MR500. We gained precious race experience as a team & as individuals. Besides Mixed 20-Crew, we tested ourselves for the first time in the Men & Women 20-Crew events. We now know where we stand against some of the other teams out there (and it's not far off the mark!)
PLK may not have won this round but I am proud that we all rowed with great spirit, courage and energy.
There are many learning points to be gathered from this whole MR500 2009 experience. Here are some of my personal take-backs:
1) Synchronisation - the essence of dragonboat. It is the act of pulling together at the same time, with paddles entering the water at the same angle, that differentiates a winning team from another. Put 2 equally competent teams in a race and inevitably the one with better coordination will win. Admittedly, we need a lot of work in this area. The only way to improve is to train, train, and train together until PLK moves as a single unstoppable unit.
2) Individual fitness - the will to win must be accompanied by the will to prepare to win. We must build on our strength to add power to our race starts, Hard 10s and last charge. We also need to build cardiovascular endurance because June Race is a long distance event (800m). As we become fitter and stronger, there'll be more oomph in every single stroke that we deliver!
3) Sometimes there's no 2nd chance - we must row every race like it's the last. It doesn't matter if it's a Heat, Semi-final or Final. At the end of the day, we are at the mercy of the forces of nature. Everything comes to a standstill when it's Category 1. PLK ladies experienced this first-hand when we were denied the opportunity to fight our final battle on Sunday. The lesson to be learnt here is regardless of opponents, we must strive for the best timing everytime.
Over the weekend, I believe some of us also got to know one another better, which is really great. PLK is a uniquely diverse team - our members are from all walks of lives (& come in all shapes & sizes!). Amidst the diversity, there is strength and unity because we genuinely respect and care for one another. PLK is built on the foundation of integrity, a shared love for the sport, and most importantly, friendships. To new members of the PLK family, thank you for adding much colour and character to our wonderfully special team!
To quote Henry Ford, "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." It is destiny that has brought all of us into the same (dragon) boat. Through hardships and shared experiences, let's continue to progress and succeed together as a team! For starters, I urge everyone to be committed to showing up for all training sessions because the only way to improve in this sport as an individual and as a team is through rowing together. We've a fantastic, dedicated coach who is committed to bringing out the best in all of us despite his hectic work & family commitments. Let's all train hard and not let him down!
Last but not least, a big THANK YOU to one & all for your contributions & effort during the race. Everyone had an important part to play; be it as a rower, reserve, drummer, coxswain or supporter! 3 cheers to our die-hard PLK fans! You all know who you are...thanks for boosting the team morale with your presence & unconditional support! To Hafizah, we love your handmade card. Thank you!
Hereby, special mention must be given to the following individuals for their hard work & help:
- Wendy, our 1st-time team coordinator & admin whiz, who took care of everything throughout the event so that the rest of us could focus on rowing
- Wei Quan & Bernard, for transporting the bulk of our team logistics from Kallang to the race site
- Kahwan & Steven for the yummy homemade "ai xin" sandwiches
- Melissa, Yeo, Jean, Pei Tan, Clarissa, John for keeping us well-fed with bananas, bread, eggs & packed lunches
- Derrick for the Red Bull lobang
- Agnes for donating the ice boxes
- Sheila for transporting both of the above to race site
- Coach for the picnic table
With MR500, an official new race season has begun for PLK. As we count down to PA Paddles Championship on 25th & 26th April, let's keep in mind our individual training targets that will help us achieve our team goals during the June Race. Together, let's row and grow stronger, as individuals and as a team. We can do it!
PLK Whooooosh!
By Captain (Evelyn)
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