TWO young athletes from Kancoona; Aaron and Ethan Grosser, have recently been announced as Junior members in the Auroras, our Australian National Dragon Boat Team, to compete in the World Cup in Germany next year.
The twin brothers will join 22 other youths to compete in the Under 18s division of the championship, held from July 16 to 20 this year, on Brandenburg’s Beetzsee Lake.
As opposed to other boat racing sports, dragon boat racing involves a team of 10 or 20 rowers paddling forwards as one, with an additional drummer to keep everyone paddling in time and a sweep to steer the boat and monitor crew safety.
Racing events can include 100-metre sprints, 200-metre sprints or a marathon course, plotted up and down the river.
The sport was first introduced to the pair at Beechworth Secondary College, where this year they will begin Year 11.
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“We heard about it from some other kids at school and thought it sounded like fun,” Ethan said.
“The best thing about dragon boat racing is making friendships with others involved in the sport and going to regattas to race against other clubs,” Aaron said.
“We are paddlers; we sit at the front two or three benches of the boat and set the pace and stroke rate for the rest of the boat.”
“There’s a high level of physical intensity required when racing; that’s the most challenging thing about the sport,” said Ethan.
Aaron and Ethan’s mother, Dani, said the boys have been truly committed to their training.
“They’ve had to work really, really hard all winter to do this,” she said.
“It’s mainly a summer sport: most clubs close down in winter time, it’s only usually the really committed that will keep it going.
“But you still have to have a minimum of 10 people for the boat and then a drummer and a sweep.
“They do four water training sessions a week, three strength sessions a week, they work on a rowing machine and then there’s a cardio workout.
“Mum and Dad are super, super proud of them.”
Aaron and Ethan are preparing for the championships in Germany at the moment, but hope to one day compete in the Olympics, once Dragon Boat racing has been legitimised as an Olympic sport.
“China is trying really hard to get dragon boat racing into the Olympics,” Dani explained.
“It’s not likely it will pass in time for the 2028 Olympics, but hopefully dragon boat racing will be added to the roster in time for Brisbane in 2032,” she said.
In the meantime, the Grosser boys will complete their studies and keep their options open for the future.
“Our post-graduation plans are not set yet, but we will be involved in the sport for a long time, we think.”
