Our very own Dragon Boat team, the Boating Belles, once again took on the Bradford Dragon Boat Festival this Sunday. Emma Arnold, Catherine Blain, Gillian Brown, Natalie Briggs, Julia Crook, Angie Grant, Sophie Grincourt, Emma Haberton, Laura Jennison, Beverly Jackson, Cheryl Long, Sally Moore, Anne Moore, Anne Myers, Marije Nicklin, Gillian Nunn, Faye Pinker, Rachel Richards, and Hannah Veil, all did us proud! The team wore bright pink polka dot head-scarves (just like Belle in our logo!) kindly made by team member Beverley Jackson, and their custom printed racing tops generously sponsored by Sentio Partners LLP. Thank you to both!!
The team were to participate in three races, the second seeing them record an amazing time of 1:11:48 which gained them a place in the final!!! We were all elated with this fantastic result and everyone who came along to cheer them on, families, friends and fellow Belles, went wild as they paddled in the final and accepted their trophy in the awards ceremony. Placing third out of twenty teams, and the only all-female team in the final was a huge achievement, and we are incredibly proud of our team.
Here is what some of them said about taking part…
Team Captain, Emma Arnold: “For me, dragon boating embodies everything we stand for at Baildon Belles WI: friendship, community, trying new things and fundraising. While we all lead busy lives, it was a no brainer to do it all again and the feel good factor you have on the day is hard to beat! I am so so proud of our amazing Boating Belles and all we have achieved finishing third but also raising a fantastic amount for Zarach.”
Catherine Blain (who also raced in the pro final for the Yorkshire Sharks, having joined them only after starting training for Boating Belles in May): “We worked as a team and that counts more than muscle! It’s all about timing!”
Gillian Brown: “As a newbie Baildon Belle, I decided to take part in the Dragon Boat team to make new friends more than anything. To be honest, it felt like I’d been a member for years, it was such great team spirit. We were in it together and had a great laugh. To get to the final and place 3rd overall was the cherry on top of the icing on the cake. What a brilliant day with a brilliant group of ladies! Girl power 💪”
Laura Jennison: “Dragon boating is a sport so many can enjoy, no matter your level of fitness. It’s all about working together as a team, supporting one another and having fun. I had so much fun last year that I jumped at the chance to do it again! The team was slightly different this year and that meant I could meet new people and build new friendships. Getting to the final was a real high and I’m so proud of us all. What an achievement, in an all-female crew!
Fundraising through sponsorship
Since we support our chosen charities for two years, the team have been fundraising for Zarach again this year, who provide beds and basics for children living in poverty. Last year, the team raised over £2,000, and they’re hoping to raise enough for at least 15 bed bundles this year, which cost £150 each. The bundles include a brand new bed frame, mattress, and pyjamas. Not having an appropriate bed to sleep in means that children do not have the basic foundations for healthy growth or the energy to concentrate at school and learn, which is why this is such an important goal for us.
There is still time to sponsor the team, which you can do via our Just Giving page here.
Support from the Yorkshire Sharks
The Boating Belles have again received a huge amount of support from the Yorkshire Sharks, who have welcomed members of our team along to both their own training sessions, as well as running a special training session just for us. They’ve always made our team feel so welcome, and indeed we’ve even gained a few new Belles from the Sharks, and they’ve gained new Sharks from the Belles! We’re so pleased to have built up this wonderful relationship with them, and look forward to future plans and projects together!
Sophie Grincourt, Yorkshire Shark first and now Baildon Belle commented: “We currently have two boats so, based on numbers we can run a “racing boat” in parallel of a development boat. We’re getting more and more kids coming along and we offer sessions for cubs and other scout groups, and will soon start training sessions for sea cadets. This week we are welcoming a group of ladies from Bosom Friends Bradford (thanks to a contact from Baildon Belles) as Dragon Boat is one of the recommended sports for recovery after surgery.”
It’s clear that the Sharks have helped the team immensely with their technique, and also encouraged many of them to take up the sport more permanently… in fact, Anne and Catherine were even brought on board to paddle with the Sharks in one of their boats in the pro final!
Belles Team Captain Emma said: “I would encourage anyone to try Dragon Boating just once and see if you get hooked! It really is a fantastic sport and if you are lucky enough to live near to the Yorkshire Sharks, they will welcome you with open arms. You couldn’t wish to meet a group of nicer people.”
A huge well done to our team, who we’re all so very proud of!