FORSTER dragon boat paddler Wendy Orman is looking at the prospect of representing Australia at the World Dragon Boat Championships in Canada this year.
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Orman was selected as a reserve paddler late last year for the Aurora Women’s Senior B category (50 to 60 years) Dragon Boat team following a gruelling three-day trial in Sydney.
The trial, which was timed, filmed and critiqued by selectors, saw participants tested on their general fitness including their paddling, strength, flexibility and their capacity to work in a team environment.
Prior to this, Wendy also took part in a pre-selection camp in June last year which eliminated women trialling for the championship squad down to 36.
In the end, only 24 women were chosen with Wendy being chosen as a reserve and the 25th female in the squad.
As a reserve, Wendy is required to train with the team and attend work-up camps. She may be asked at any time to replace a paddler in the championships who may be forced to forfeit due to injury or for personal reasons.
After months of training for the selection, Wendy says the trial was emotionally and physically exhausting but at the same time rewarding.
“The trial was so hard so I was thrilled to death to have been selected,” she said.
“I met heaps of wonderful men and women from all over Australia. Every state was represented by at least two to three paddlers with NSW having the most candidates.”
Wendy has devoted herself to the sport, juggling her training regime for the Auroras with her full-time job as a teacher at Great Lakes College and as a member of the Great Lakes Pearl Dragons which sees her take part in regattas up and down the Mid North Coast.
Since being involved with the club she has also introduced the sport to her students as a school sport where she takes students paddling on Wallis Lake each week.
“I’m loving it. The sport is a wonderful sport to be involved with,” she said.
“The good thing about it is just about anyone can do it. It’s a sport for men and women and for a variety of ages.”
On top of this, Wendy has also been training to become part of the state team which will compete at nationals in Perth from April 14 to 18. She will find out if she has been chosen at a training and selection camp on February 7 and 8 in Sydney.
She will then attend a training camp with the Auroras in Sydney on February 14. She hopes to find out in the coming months if she has gained selection to travel with the team to Welland, Ontario, Canada for the championships which will be held between August 19 to 23.
