Having been living in Exeter for a couple of years I was looking for an active and social club to join (primarily in search of like minded drinkers!). I'd seen the dragon boat on the river a few times but only decided to brave the slightly menacing shouting and drum beating after seeing a few members recruiting with the race boat in the middle of town.

I found you'd really have to try very hard (or not speak a single word of English) not to find a few like minded people in the club.

After getting the hang of it (which seemed to take me longer than most) I re-discovered that I love the competition and the racing, something I didn't realise I'd been missing since swimming in school days.

Barely 12 months since joining the club, with great encouragement and help from the Exe-Calibre team (with paddling, gym, diet etc.) I've just qualified to race in the Great Britain Premier Open Crew at the World Championships in Florida this August.

For me racing with Exe-Calibre is the best part of Dragon Boating and there's a space in the club for anyone - from social loafer looking for some exercise to hyper competitive paddling obsessive.

I joined Exe-Calibre in January 2009 at the age of twelve and I was hooked very quickly. Up until very recently I was the youngest member of Exe-Calibre but I always feel like a valued member of the club. I raced in my first league event after I had been paddling for 3 months and last year I was selected to race with the open crew at all nine National League events and the National Cup finals.

I began training with the British National Training Squad Under 18 crew last year and was selected to represent Great Britain at the European Championships in Amsterdam in August. We raced over 3 distances 200, 500 & 2000 metres and although we just missed out on medalling it was still an amazing experience.

I am now training hard for the 2011 season with Exe-Calibre and with the GB Under 18 squad. I've just been selected to go to the World Championships in Florida in August 2011. I train on the water 4 or 5 times a week either in the dragon boat with the rest of the crew or in an 01 which is a converted racing kayak designed for individual training. I also do some weight training.

I first experienced Dragon Boat Racing through a competition at work. I have always been someone who can’t sit still but have never been terribly successful at any sport. Despite this, I cycle regularly and take part in the occasional run, both activities that can be very time consuming and mainly concentrate on leg and aerobic fitness. Once I had received some coaching as part of the work team I was hooked. It’s a great sport for an all over workout, it has increased my flexibility hugely (could not previously touch the floor but can now get both palms flat on the ground!). A fantastic workout can be had in little over an hour and a half leaving you buzzing, even if after work you felt ready for bed. If like me you’ve tried sticking to exercise plans, only to find they’re never as easy as they read, then this is the sport for you. Turn up sit in the boat and take part in a pre-organised session with some great coaching, all with the goal of getting you fitter and faster. Despite joining during the winter, motivation has been no problem. There are plenty of experienced paddlers around you to offer friendly advice and encouragement. Once you get into this sport there are competitions nationally to aim for or you can just use it to get yourself fitter all whilst enjoying the great outdoors.

Paul West - September 2009

After being a member a tennis club and a walking club for several years, I made a new year’s resolution in 2008 to try a different sport and join a new club to make new friends who were hopefully more in my age range! Someone in my walking club suggested I try Dragon Boat Racing. I am a competitive person and enjoy keeping fit, so after a few sessions I was keen to go to a race event! I find the race events very exciting and enjoy the camaraderie of camping before race day when the event is far away. I don’t like running or gyms, but like to keep fit and I like water sports so dragon boating was the perfect solution to keeping fit and having fun without having to be on the water at 6.00am! My social life has got busier since joining the club as a result of BBQs, parties, weekend trips to destinations such as the Great Western Canal and more! Since joining, I have started dating another member of the club! As you can tell I am still addicted to Dragon Boating, and if you feel there is anything missing in your life, this is probably it. Come along and give it a go!

Barbara Johnson - June 2009

I first took up Dragon boating after enjoying a charity event at work. I was hooked, and 4 years later I am still paddling with ExeCalibre. When I first moved to Exeter from Australia I did not know many people in the UK, and I started paddling because I wanted something to occupy my evenings. My experience with ExeCalibre has grown from a hobby to a lifestyle which offers me lots of social events, plenty of training and the chance to meet my current partner! I am now doing something I never thought possible. I am competing at international level with the Great Britain Premier Ladies Crew. I started training for this at the end of 2008, and now 6 months later I have just been selected for the GB squad. This was something that I thought was so out of reach, but whilst training to get on the team was hard, yet rewarding, training for the World Championships in Prague later this year (26-30 August) will be a whole other level of commitment. I am looking forward to being part of a crew whose commitment to the sport is so strong and the drive to win even greater. Who would have thought that a chance trial at a small charity event could lead to this? What have you got to lose by having a go?

Lauren Reid - June 2009

I have recently gone through a very difficult divorce, and ended up feeling quite low. I had also spent the last 20 years as a complete workaholic and so had little time for fitness in the past. I was looking for an activity that would introduce me to new friends and help me to gradually increase my fitness without having to don leg-warmers or expose my flab at a gym. The Exe-Calibre Dragon Boat Racing Club has been exactly what I was looking for. Great people from all walks of life, great support and encouragement (both on fitness and on socialising), a great place to go 2-3 times a week and a fantastic positive feeling after each session. I would highly recommend joining this club - it’s far cheaper than a gym and the benefits are far greater.

Tony Peake - June 2009

I used to run competitively as a teenager (many years ago!), but since then had very little to do with competitive sport. My only previous experience of watersports involved falling off a windsurfer once or twice! I first tried Dragon Boat Racing in October 2007, and since then I have become what my daughter describes as 'crazy about paddling'! I train two or three times a week with the club and undertake individual sessions too. I have recently secured myself a place in the Great Britain Premier Ladies crew. It's a real testament to how quickly you can become very proficient at paddling with some effort and commitment. There is so much I love about the sport; 20 of us paddling in unison on a beautiful sunny day, the thrill of lining up at the start of a race event, the rush of emotion when you know that you and everyone in your team has just put everything they can into the race, and most of all, meeting and becoming friends with such a fabulous and diverse bunch of people with a shared passion for all things paddling!

Lisa Hayes - April 2009

I got the Dragon Boat bug following a short course with a group of work colleagues, and have been a member since January 2009. I was so impressed by the enthusiasm of all the people in the club - be it for recreational paddling, social events or full on racing. The club has a very wide age range and encourages teamwork and health/fitness for all its members (as well as a drink or two at the frequent club social events!!). I am now looking forward to taking on teams from around the country in the national league and I've even purchased my own carbon fibre paddle! Heck - I must be serious!

Grahame Shaddick - March 2009