Perfect timing key to slaying dragon boat nemesis

A Charles Darwin University student will take on some of Asia’s fittest and most fearless athletes at the Asian Dragon Boat Championships in Macau this weekend.

Jenny LeRay, a part-time law student who lives in Adelaide, is a member of the Auroras national dragon boat squad, which has high hopes of emulating the podium finishes achieved in South Korea (2012) and China (2010).

“I’ve been training about 15 hours a week for the past year so as an individual I’m about as fit and strong as I can possibly be,” Ms LeRay said.

“But dragon boating is a team sport and we all have to be spot on with our timing to achieve maximum speed and efficiency.”

Ms LeRay said the Auroras would compete against teams from 17 nations in men’s, women’s and mixed divisions over 200m, 500m and 2000m at the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre.

“It will be a huge adrenalin rush for the competitors and an exhilarating spectacle for the fans,” she said.

A week later, Ms Leray and the Auroras will compete at Hong Kong’s Dragon Boat Carnival, the event credited with having sparked the transformation of the ancient Chinese folk ritual into a modern international sport.

And in September, she will join members of her home town team the Adelaide Phoenix to compete at the International Dragon Boat Federation’s World Club Crew Championships in Italy.