With less than a second between rival teams, Kelowna's Fire on Water crossed the finish line first at the Kelowna dragon boat festival.
The team took home gold in the Women’s Platinum Division. It’s not the first gold for the team, though, as they’ve won gold already in Vernon and Salmon Arm.
Rosemary Hall, a member of the team, said they are bringing home gold medals because of the way the team works together.
"It was just amazing. We had new people in the boat that had never paddled before. We call them newbies and their energy has just been electric."
Hall has been part of the Fire on Water team since 2010. She joined the team because she wanted to get back into a team sport. Hall joked that Fire on Water has that name because they wanted to show people that estrogen really is flammable.
The team consists of 20 boaters and several spares if needed. The women-only team trains together from early March until September for the season.
During the Kelowna festival, the Fire on Water boat finished with a time of 2:14:58, less than a second away from the second place team ODBC Dragonfire.
Hall said the team’s coach kept the women pushing hard.
"He is so true and honest and he keeps our spirit so high. He spends his life on the water. He was a sailor, fisherman and he understands the ebb and flow of the lake."
During training sessions for the team, the women train two times a week for one and a half hours at a time. During the winter, they stay together and train on land, as well.
Fire on Water will head to Penticton next for the Penticton Dragon boat festival on Sept. 9, 10 and 11.
Hall said she’s hoping to work hard and bring home another gold for the team.
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