A Day On The Dragon Boat, 13 July 2024

July 17, 2024

On 13 July 2024, CaringSG and volunteers from the Kallang Water Sports Centre organised a fun-filled afternoon on the Dragon Boat for 14 caregivers and 9 care recipients.

Being able to participate in an inclusive family activity with other caregivers and families was an event that many caregivers were looking forward to. The weather on that day was sunny, and everyone was excited to get on the dragon boat!

Before they started the dragon boat activity, there was a short briefing on how to paddle and safety procedures to note. The 23 participants, followed by volunteers, then carefully boarded two dragon boats and paddled around the Kallang River for almost two hours!

While in the middle of the Kallang River, caregivers and care recipients were further taught the techniques of paddling well, such as keeping our leading arm straight, and not paddling past our mid-thigh. Some care recipients took the training very seriously and diligently reminded their caregivers to practise good arm posture during the paddling!

The participants also learnt how to position their legs (one stretched out and the other at right angles to the floor) and twist their torso during paddling, using their core muscles instead of depending on just the biceps to pull the paddle through the water.

The volunteers, positioned at the front and back of the boat, provided extra thrust to support the caregivers and care recipients during paddling. During the activity, the participants counted the number of strokes together, with adequate rest in between sets of anywhere between 30 to 80 strokes.

During these rest breaks, participants admired the scenery, against a 360-degree backdrop of the National Stadium, Merdeka Bridge, Tanjong Rhu and Kallang Park.

Not only did they get to feel the lovely sea breeze and sun on their faces, they were also treated to sights such as watching hawks circling overhead, kingfishers swooping into the river to catch fish, and watching different groups of professionals who were dragon boating nearby.

The instructor also took time to let each pair of caregivers and their care recipients paddle at a time, while the rest of us counted to ten and heartedly clapped to show our appreciation for their teamwork and effort.

Towards the end of the activity, the two boats took a group photo before competing in a mini race for 220 metres.

As the participants rowed back to the dock, there was a sense of achievement and camaraderie among the participants, many of whom were meeting each other for the first time. They had paddled for almost 2 hours, learnt new dragon boat skills together, experienced the sunny sights of Kallang River, get a good breath of fresh air, and completed a good whole body workout!

We are glad to organise such a fun inclusive outing for the 23 participants, and look forward to seeing more caregivers and families in our future events.