Clinton native, Julia Chagnon, has returned from Thailand following the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships.
Chagnon competed for Team Canada, part of the Lambton Shores Dragon Boat Club.
"The competition went amazing," said Chagnon. "A lot of races were very tight for the countries, especially the US. The U18 and U16 juniors came out with a total of seven golds, 13 silver, and one bronze. We also won the junior division world cup."
She added as a group, Canada won the women's cup, the senior's cup, and the nations cup. In total, the country came home with 52 gold, 26 silver, and 13 bronze.
"The most challenging part of the whole experience was the mental aspect," she said. "Being put on the water for the amount of time we were and in the sun and the heat while putting in your all in the races really beat down on you quickly."
Chagnon's estimated daily temperature was 40 degrees C with the humidity. But, the connection she made with her teammates made up for the exhaustion on the water.
"Being with my teammates for two weeks straight, the lifelong bonds really started forming," she said. "The team really is one big family and seeing and experiencing that was truly amazing."
Her biggest takeaway from her experience in Pattaya, Thailand was the communication skills gained within the boat. According to Chagnon, having a good connection can make the difference between a win and a loss.
When reflecting on how it felt to represent her country, Chagnon said there were no words.
"Being able to represent your country and step on the podium and wearing a leaf on your shirt, especially bringing home the gold for Canada is really amazing," she said.
Chagnon's next big adventure within the dragon boat racing world is to make Team Canada again for the 2025 World Championships in Germany.
"I'm definitely going to be stepping up my training even more for the next few years to prepare," she said.
