Steve Wilkes

Transcript

I said yes to an opportunity to try Dragon booat Racing now some of you in this room might be thinking what the hell is Dragon Boat Racing well you take a boat that's 40 feet long you put 22 people in it you've got a drummer a steers person 20 paddlers 10 on the left 10 on the right you race in 200 met events 500 meter events 2,000 meter events turns out it's a really complicated sport it's the most challenging sport there is it'll tax you in terms of finding your timing and your rhythm with your crew getting 20 people to paddle in absolute Precision well

that's an elusive 44 I started this journey I joined the Pickering Dragon modat Club it was 2007 I was overweight out of shape I had no idea no skill no capability it took me two years to get to a Canadian championship so in 2009 our crew went to Montreal we competed at the Canadian championship we won a silver medal we won an opportunity to go to maau China in 2010 to the World Championships we arrived in maau excited o were we schooled on how to race a Dragon Boat we made all the grand finals but we never made a Podium our crew returned we reset

our sites we looked at 2012 we made changes and we decided we're going to go back to the World Championships we went to Hong Kong we arrived in the summer of 2012 12 we were very well prepared we knew what we had to do and yes we struck gold to stand on the podium with your teammates in that moment to experience that it's something that I'll never forget it touched me in ways that you just never imagine now in the subsequent years from 2012 I've been many Canadian championships I've been to many world club crew championships I even had the pleasure of paddling at Team

Canada where I went to World Nations cup and won a gold medal with my crew paddling life was awesome I was in the best shape of my life I felt great it was in the summer of 2020 I got a phone call from my doctor Steve yes you have leukemia now paddling has had a profound impact on slowing the progression of this disease and I am not letting cancer get in the way of living a full life I just returned last week from the club crew World Championships in Rena Italy with another another gold medal what makes this one special it was also a world

record time what I learned in this sport when I said yes to Dragon boting it's not about anything other than the daily habits the disciplined actions those are the things that matter in a Dragon Boat and in a life dragon booat paddling and racing has profoundly upskilled build not just my physical capability but my character paddling you know executing your work with the mindset of serving others in the boat well that's been deeply rewarding if I had said no to Dragon Boat Racing I never would have discovered how capable I am how resilient I can be I never would have met some amazing teammates I

never would have become a world champion indulge me for a moment I've got an idea everybody make a fist with your left hand if you can right this represents your comfort zone and here in lies the Paradox right it's really hard to grow when you're always in your comfort zone with your right hand open it up oh this is where the magic happens right as you go forward every yes gives you a chance for new opportunities to grow to change your life to make magic happen and when you face those choices and you say yes well just do what other people aren't going to do

right be consistent be patient be determined be willing to get uncomfortable and yes you'll discover you're more capable than you imagine just like I did I'm so grateful that I said yes to Dragon boating I wish you all great health continued success and a life full of Happiness thank you

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