Dear all,
True to our PLK spirit, we played hard and rowed even harder at the recently concluded Singapore Dragon Boat Festival 2008.
I believe this will go down as one of the most memorable & well-spent weekends of 2008 for many of us, not just because we won medals but really because of the shared emotion and sense of community we experienced as a team.
I wish to extend my sincerest appreciation to all the PLK supporters who were with us over the weekend, in person & in spirit. We feel much loved indeed. Without all your friendships and encouragements, we will not be the team that we are.
On a personal level, this event has been a learning experience for me as a rower and team coordinator. Ladies, I will always remember how we pulled stroke by stroke, strong & steadily in synchronicity towards the finishing lines for the women's open races. While we may not have secured a place in the finals, I know we have given our all and that we will come back stronger and better in the next season.
Kudos to all the men who rowed in the Inter-Corporate (Open) / Inter-Business House & Club (Open) categories, you have inspired and motivated all of us with your superhuman efforts & go-get-it attitude. Believe me when I say that it was pure poetry in motion watching your boats charge down the last 150 metres every time.
The Mixed Open category continues to elude us for now but this race has been a good opportunity for us to understand our strengths and weaknesses in a 20-crew boat better. I'm confident that a spot in the Mixed Open Finals in the Regatta is within our reach.
So chins up, everyone! The best is yet to come for PLK.
Going forward in the new season, the team will be setting new directions and goals for the River Regatta '08. I urge everyone to reflect on the training leading up to the June Race and think about your desired individual & team targets in the months to come. Sharing is itself a part of the learning process so I hope that everyone can stay back after training this Sunday to discuss this important subject.
The following questions / statements may help facilitate your reflection process but they are by no means exhaustive:
- What is my motivation for rowing?
- What have I learnt?
- My take-back for this event (June Race) is...
- I can do better by...
- My personal physical goals are...
- I hope that PLK can...
For those who are unable to make it for this Sunday's training, please email me your thoughts. Your opinions, ideas and aspirations are important to the success of PLK!
Last but not least, here's a quote that I think best encapsulates the essence of dragonboat and the PLK spirit:
"Sports can unite a group of people from different backgrounds, all working together to achieve a common goal. And even if they fall short, sharing that journey is an experience they'll never forget. It can teach some of the most fundamental and important human values: dedication, perseverance, hard work, and teamwork. It also teaches us how to handle our success and cope with our failure. So, perhaps the greatest glory of sport is that is teaches us so much about life itself."
PLK Whooosh!
By Team Coordinator (Evelyn)
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