EOI for athletes (new or experienced) to join DBNSW's first para dragons team - The Chimera Challengers. The goal is to establish Australia's first PD2 para dragons team and the first Australian National Para Dragons team.

What are paradragons?
Paradragons are dragon boat paddlers who are living with some form of physical, psychological, neurological, sensory, developmental, or intellectual impairment.

The Paradragons team will be competing in the PD2 category. PD2 is a combined crew of 50/50 able bodied and impaired/disabled athletes.

We are looking for:
- Paddlers, sweeps and drummers
- 14 able bodied athletes
- 14 athletes with a form of impairment or disability (certified by a medical practitioner).

Examples of an impairment or disability

• Psychological - ADHD, Learning Disability, Anxiety, Depression
• Sensory - Vision or hearing impairment
• Physical - Paraplegia, limb loss, mobility restriction, muscle weakness
• Neurological/Developmental - Multiple Sclerosis, Down Syndrome

Training
The team will start training in15 Jan 2023 at the Bank St training facility.

Racing
The team will aim to compete at:

• Sydney Lunar New Year Festival Corporate Day - Jan '23
• NSW State Titles - Mar '23
• Australian Nationals - April '23 (Albury Wodonga)
• IDBF World Championships - August '23 (Thailand) - TBC

Submit your EOI
Please submit your EOI by 31 December 2022 with the following information to Sylvia Wong via email sylvia@blackwattlebay.org.au

• Your name
• Club (if any)*
• Email address
• Mobile phone
• Athlete type (able bodied or paradragon, please state impairment or disability type)
• Have you paddled before? Yes/No

* If you're currently registered with a club and a member of DBNSW, we will work with DBNSW so that we will have the opportunity to race as paradragons

Information session
An information session about paradragons will be held via Zoom on Thursday 12 January via Zoom 8pm.

Contact Sylvia Wong at sylvia@blackwattlebay.org.au to register your interest by Sunday 08 January 2023