Dragons help Victoria get golden result

TWO Golden Dragons Ballarat members recently competed in the nation’s premier dragon boating event held on the Sunshine Coast.

Several of the local club’s team members qualified to compete in the 2026 Australian National Dragon Boat Championships on Queensland’s Lake Kawana at Bokarina, but just Troy Channells and Judi Kerr attended for the Golden Dragons.

Kerr was part of the Victorian team to take on competition from around Australia, competing in the senior C women’s division.

Some Golden Dragons Ballarat members qualified to represent Victoria at the 2026 nationals. Photo: Golden Dragons Ballarat.

Her state team took gold in the mixed 20’s event over 500 metres, silver in the women’s event over 500 metres and bronze in the Women’s 10’s event over 500 metres.

Channells also competed in the men’s senior B division. While he didn’t bring home a medal, the Victorian team he helped form did perform strongly, taking out third in the heats over 500 metres and a kilometre.

“It just gives you a great opportunity to compete at a high level and it’s not only the competition but also the comradeship of other paddlers that you meet over the years,” said Kerr who is the Golden Dragons’ president.

“There’s the thrill of competition if you’re that way inclined. It’s very exciting, and there’s that added bonus if you come home with something. It’s won by seconds. It’s so close. It’s a very explosive, dynamic sport.

Judi Kerr has brought home gold for Golden Dragons Ballarat after competing as part of the Victorian team in her division of the nation’s premier dragon boat racing event in Queensland. Photo: Golden Dragons Ballarat.

“The championships attract 2500 to 3000 competitors from clubs all around the country to participate in club versus club and state versus state races.

“Racing includes events for several age categories including up to three junior or youth categories, a premier open age, category, and three senior over-age-40, categories.

“Crews are women’s, mixed, and open composition and race distances are 200m, 500m, and 2000m, and sometimes 100m or 1000m.”

Held in a different state or territory each year, the Australian Dragon Boat Federation’s Australian National Dragon Boat Championships, branded as AusChamps, is the country’s premier dragon boating event in which clubs from all states compete for the title of National Champions.