Since then I have become a dragon boat and fitness fanatic! I partake in kayaking, canoeing, climbing, cycling, weight training and running, and I also train regularly in one of the club's single seater boats. I follow a sports nutrition plan that features far too little chocolate for my liking! Within a year of my first training session in Exeter, I have paddled for a dragon boat club in New Zealand and have been invited to train with the Great Britain Ladies team. This has been a great opportunity for me to gain experience from some of the best paddlers in the country. I am currently saving up to purchase my own training boat, and one day I hope to be able to represent my country in this amazing sport.

Claire Quinn - May 2010

I used to dance regularly, but I stopped in 1997. Since then I have joined sports clubs, but never stuck with them and I was never what you would call 'sporty'. Dragon Boat Racing has changed that for me. I now train twice a week, and plan to race in the 2010 National League. I was first introduced to Dragon Boating during a charity fund raising event on the River Exe in summer 2009. My team had some issues, but despite this I really enjoyed myself. I found out about Exe-Calibre from a colleague who is already part of the team. I came along for some taster sessions and never looked back. I have belonged to many different types of groups and have never been accepted as quickly as I have been at Exe-Calibre. You get a full body workout as well as being able to train and race with a great team who are very sociable. Come and try it for yourself, you won't regret it!

Jenny Arnott - March 2010

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 love competing in dragon boat racing - it's a really exciting sport and the Exe-Calibre team is great fun to spend time with. This is my fifth year in the sport. I started dragon boat racing when I was working in Taiwan, joining the ‘Cantai’ (Canadian-Taiwanese) team both for the exercise and social interaction. I was amazed how many parties I was invited to as a result! As someone living overseas, it was great to meet such a nice bunch of people who helped me deal with homesickness. When I returned to Devon I was looking to join a local team. By chance, I was put in touch with a club member whilst on a train journey, looked at the website, and joined the next day.
The club gives you the chance to do much more than just paddling. You can train to be a race official or a coach. My forté is organising social events like barbecues and parties! I would highly recommend this fantastic sport which allows people of all ages and abilities to improve their fitness and social life!

Jojo Ramsden - May 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

I joined the club in September 2006, and right from the start I became a dragon boat addict. I think it is a fantastic sport to be a part of because men and women of all ages can compete on a similar level. I tried going to the gym to get fit, but quickly became bored of the repetition. Dragon boating gives me an all over body workout three times a week, and offers the chance to visit towns and cities all over the country to compete with other crews. It is also a very inclusive sport; my social calendar has never been fuller. To further my commitment to the club, I volunteered my services as club treasurer in late 2008, and am now responsible for making sure the books balance each month, and ensuring everyone pays their membership fees on time! I would advise all potential paddlers to come down to the quayside and try the sport for themselves. It’s surprisingly addictive!

Ed Donohue - March 2009