>> FINALLY TONIGHT, IT'S DRAGON BOAT TIME ON THE CONNECTICUT
RIVER.
AND ANNA SYMINGTON, HEAD OF THE ROWING TEAM AND JIM
SOTIROPOULOS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PIONEER VALLEY RIVERFRONT
CLUB, STOPS BY TO DISCUSS THE BREAK BOAT FESTIVAL AND THE
RACES TO BE HELD ON THE RIVER ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27.
>> IT'S AN ANCIENT SPOT, A 2,000-YEAR-OLD SPORT THAT HAS
SEEN A REVIVAL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES IN THE PAST 20 YEARS OR
SO.
AND WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE THE ONLY PROGRAM IN THE PIONEER VALLEY.
AND IT'S A GROWING PROGRAM.
I THINK THAT TWO YEARS AGO, NOT MANY PEOPLE KNEW WHAT DRAGON
BOATING WAS.
AND SO THIS REALLY FITS WITH OUR MISSION, AS WELL, OF BRINGING
RECREATION BACK TO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER.
WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE TWO FULL TEAMS, AND ONE OF WHICH IS A
TEAM OF BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS, AND WHICH IS SPONSORED BY RAYS
OF HOPE, WHICH ANNA IS A PARTICIPANT OF AND AN ADVOCATE.
>> WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT THAT.
TO ME, THAT IS SUCH A GREAT THING ABOUT THIS, THE DRAGON
RAYS, THE SPRINGFIELD DRAGON RAYS, RAYS.
OF HOPE, WORKING TOGETHER TO PUT MANY BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS
INTO ONE OF THESE BOATS, AND WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
>> RIGHT.
A PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE, WHEN THE PIONEER VALLEY, RIVERFRONT
CLUB APPLIED FOR THE GRANT TWO YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS APPROVED,
I HAD TO CHECK IT OUT FOR MYSELF, AND I WAS HOOKED.
FIRST TIME I STEPPED INTO THE BOAT.
BUT, I STARTED OFF AS A SMALL GROUP AGAIN, BREAST CANCER
SURVIVORS, PARTICIPATE FOR FREE, BECAUSE THE GRANT COVERS THE
PARTICIPATION.
AND I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO -- THERE WAS A SPORTS MEDICINE
PHYSICIAN BACK IN THE 1990s, WHO DABBLES IN THE DRAGON
BOATING EXPERIENCE, AND REALIZED THAT IT WAS A GOOD, THERAPEUTIC,
PHYSICAL THERAPEUTIC REMEDY FOR THOSE THAT HAD UNDERGONE SURGERY
FOR BREAST CANCER, AND A GOOD REHAB.
SO, AND WE'RE EXPERIENCING IT OURSELVES, WITH WOMEN WHO HAVE
SIGNED UP AND JOINED.
THEY ARE SAYING THE STRENGTH THAT THEY DEVELOPED AS A RESULT
OF PADDLING, BUT WE WENT FROM A SMALL GROUP, I THINK, IT WAS
LESS THAN 20, WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, 13 OR SO, BACK IN THE
EARLY 2013, AND WE HAVE GROWN TO -- WE'RE FILLING TWO BOATS.
>> NEEDED BY 20 PEOPLE.
>> RIGHT.
>> CORRECT.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE MINIATURIZED BIKING SHIP.
>> YEAH, AND YOU KNOW, THAT -- THAT LENGTH ITSELF, REALLY,
NICELY TO THE BOAT IS, YOU KNOW, 500 POUNDS, AND SO THESE THINGS
ARE VERY STABLE ON THE WATER.
AND SO, WHAT IT CREATES IS A SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE
ON A ROWING SHOW, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO REALLY GAIN YOUR
BEARINGS, AND FEEL SECURE, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF PRACTICE.
AND WITH DRAGON BOATING, ANYBODY CAN PICK UP A PADDLE AND PADDLE.
IT'S -- ANYBODY CAN DO IT, SO BECAUSE YOU ALSO HAVE 20, OR 19
OTHER TEAMMATES ON THE BOAT, YOU CAN START SLOW, AND REALLY
ACCUSTOM YOURSELF TO THE TRAINING.
IT'S GREAT FOR ANYBODY.
>> ONE THING YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, THE DRAGON FROM THE ROOM
HERE, AND IT IS ON THE TABLE, AND THIS IS REALLY AMAZING.
YOU SIT HERE AND LOOK AT, IT'S BEAUTIFULLY PAINTED, AND THIS IS
TO SAY, I IMAGINE, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT, THE BOW PIECE?
IT GOES ON THE FRONT OF THE BOAT.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT.
IT'S SYMBOLIC.
>> THE DRAGON BOATS ARE VERY OR ORNATE.
AND AS YOU SEE, THIS IS THE DRAGON HEAD THAT GOES ON THE
BOW, AND THE STERN OF THE BOAT HAS THE DRAGON TAIL, AND THEY
ARE PORTABLE AND THEY COME SO WHEN WE'RE PRACTICING ON THE
RIVER, THE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING OVER THE BRIDGES, THE MEMORIAL
BRIDGE, AND THEY WILL SEE US WITHOUT THE ORNATENESS, BUT COME
THE DAY OF THE FESTIVAL AND THE RACES THEMSELVES, ALL THE BOATS
DOWN THE -- DAWN THE DRAGON HEAD, AS IS CUSTOMARY AND THE
TAIL SO WHEN WE SAY THE DRAGONS ARE COMING, IT LOOKS LIKE A
FLEET OF DRAGONS COMING DOWN THE RIVER.
>> AND YOU MENTIONED PRACTICING ON THE RIVER.
THIS IS NOT JUST SOME LITTLE THING YOU FOLKS GET TOGETHER AND
DO A DAY IN JUNE.
THERE ARE TWO PRACTICES A WEEK, OR THREE, AND TUESDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY, AND SATURDAYS, AND IF THE WEATHER IS GOOD, AND IF IT'S
NOT GOOD, YOU ARE IN THE BOATHOUSE, RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
WE'RE PRACTICING YEAR-ROUND AND GOOD WEATHER, WE'RE ON THE RIVER
EVEN DURING THE RAIN.
AND BUT, DURING THE COLDER MONTHS, WE ARE INDOORS AT THE
BOATHOUSE, AND LIFTING WEIGHTS AND PRACTICING ON THE ROWS
MACHINE, JUST TO KEEP UP THE ENDURANCE AND THE STRENGTH.
>> AND ON THE BOAT, YOU NEED 20 ROWERS, AND YOU HAVE GOT A
DRUMMER KEEPING YOU ROWING WITH HIM, AND YOU HAVE GOT SOMEBODY
STEERING, SO WE HAVE GOT 20 -- 22 PEOPLE.
WOW.
THAT'S QUITE A TEAM.
>> IT'S A GREAT TEAM.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A TEAM SPORT, AND PEOPLE
ON THE BOAT WHO ARE AFRAID OF THE WATER.
AND I AM NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN I SAY, WHEN WE GET THEM INTO THE
BOAT, IT'S A TOTAL EXPERIENCE.
THEY ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT, AND I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAN WE HAVE
BOAT CAPACITY.
BUT I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.
>> JIM, WE SAID THIS IS YEAR THREE GROWING EACH YEAR AND YOU
EXPECT TEAMS FROM ALL ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND MAYBE BEYOND.
RIGHT?
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WE TYPICALLY DRAW UP TEAMS THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND, AND NEW
YORK, AS WELL, AND THE -- THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED WITH EIGHT TO
TEN TEAMS, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS ON NOW, AND WE'RE THINKING WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE 20 TO 25 TEAMS.
WE HAVE GREAT SPONSORS THIS YEAR, AND INCLUDING MASS MUTUAL,
RAYS OF HOPE AS WE TALKED ABOUT, AND HEALTH NEW ENGLAND, AND
WHITE LION BREWERY.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE FESTIVAL, ITSELF, IS MORE THAN JUST WHAT'S
HAPPENING ON THE WATER.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A NICE FESTIVAL ATMOSPHERE, GOING TO BE
CONDUCIVE FOR FAMILIES TO COME DOWN, AND HAVE A LITTLE
SOMETHING TO EAT, AND WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF ENTERTAINMENT, AS
WELL, BUT IF YOU WANT TO GET ON THE WATER, THERE ARE DEFINITELY
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT, AS WELL.
>> AND ANNA, JIM, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU
ARE DOING AND
FOR COMING IN
AND TELLING US ABOUT IT.
>> THANKS A LOT.