Every practice I have attended for the past two years was finally worth it when I boarded the bus to Welland, Canada with the rest of my teammates, at 5 in the morning. I was about to represent the United States and compete with 18 other countries from all over the world at the 12th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championship. You may be asking yourself, “What is dragon boat racing?” A team usually consists of 20 people paddling together on a large boat with a drummer in the front and a steerer in the back. The race starts with 4-6 boats at the starting line and ends when the boats cross the finish line at the 200m, 500m, 1000m, or 2000m mark. When my team finally reached Canada, we met all the other teams from Australia, Sweden, Philippines, China, Great Britain, Germany, and more! It was really exciting to be surrounded by people that spoke a variety of languages with their interesting accents. The high I got after stepping up onto the podium, numerous times, to receive medals was breathtaking because it was a relief to know that all the hard work put into every practice has finally paid off. There were times where it got challenging like when our boat collided at a turn with the Australian boat during a 2000m race, or when it was down pouring with lightning and we were still out on the water racing one race after another. Overall, this trip was one of the best moments in my life and I couldn’t have spent a week of my summer better in any other way. I will never forget the amazing memories I have created during my time at my first world championship and I already can’t wait for the next one! So, what motivates me to wake up in the morning? What pumps me throughout the day? What makes me happy? My answer to all three questions is dragon boat.