‘Come and try’ sign sets Kay on a path to world domination

Just imagine.

One day you are scraping ice off your dragon boat before training on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra and just days later you’re wiping the sweat from your brow in 30 plus degree temperatures as you power towards a world championship in Thailand.

That was the reality for 76-year-old paddler Kay Newman and her Australian representative over 60s crew last August as they took two gold medals and a bronze at the 16^th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Rayong.

“We raced in a 10s boat, smaller than the normal 20 seats, against teams from all over – Canada, the USA, a team from Ukraine, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, the Philippines and plenty more,” she said.

Kay’s path to world domination began eight years ago when she saw a come and try sign at the lake.

“I thought that was interesting because I like being on water, so I went along, jumped in a dragon boat for the first time and I was hooked.

“I paddle and coach with an all-women’s club called Diamond Phoenix, which is a bit unusual in dragon boat circles because most clubs are mixed,” she said.

This week, Kay, who has also represented the ACT at national championships, will paddle in her third Pan Pacific Masters Games.

“We’re here to have fun; it’s going to be stiff competition because there are lots of teams, but we’re not particularly worried about that.

“We get competitive when we’re on the water and once we’re off, we have a good time.

“One of the things I really like about dragon boating as a sport is that it’s so inclusive.

“And I like that at my age I can compete at the international level because there are age groups for almost everyone.

“I started well into my 60s and that’s one thing I really like about it…you don’t get tossed out of the sport once you hit a certain age,” she said.

Kay shamelessly uses the Pan Pacific Masters Games as an opportunity to stay a couple of weeks on the Gold Coast with daughter Sally and two of her grandchildren Keenan (22) and Bastian (17).

And she had the perfect preparation for the three-day dragon boat regatta by taking indoor rowing gold this week in the 100m Open and 500m Open 75-79, the latter in Australian record time.

The dragon boats hit Lake Orr at Varsity from Thursday 7 – Saturday 9 November from 7:30 – 5:30pm each day.