The Pacific Dragons 2014 Inspire Award in the Memory of Jenny Petterson - Glebe/Sydney (Sat 09 Aug 2014)

Nicola, Julia, Joanne and Geoff - Pacific Dragons Presentation Night - Glebe (Sat 09 Aug 2014)
Julia Ryall (*) is the 2014 Inspire Award (*) Winner. She is an amazing person and a most worthy recipient. Here are a few words in support:

Julia has been a member of the club for over 10 years now. She has been the Women’s Dragon Coach for at least 10 years and as such a member of the committee also. She has therefore been a key contributor the functioning of the club, and the creation and shaping of its culture - it's values and ideals [along with our dreams].

Most importantly Julia provides Inspiration to all in her leadership role.

[Leadership and] Inspiration is the key to allowing people to achieve things that deep down we know we can, but often can’t achieve on our own.

The writer David Foster Wallace describes this kind of Leadership as a “mysterious quality, hard to define, but we always know it when we see”. So for me, I know I have seen it with Julia. Rarely I have seen it, experienced it in the community I live, my workplace or the sports I have participated, but feel fortunate to have experienced and seen that mysterious quality through Julia.

She has always been there for us. Sometimes it is hard to be leader, but a real leader does not shy away from difficult decisions, particularly when it is the best for the team.

This year Julia was not able to paddle due to the impending arrival of their first child, Zach. This did not stop her from being on the front of the boat, when she could, coaching us to be the best we can. Drawing out of us, what we knew we could always do, but were afraid to face, maybe due to a lack of self-belief or the fear of failing.

In February, I was privileged to see Julia at her natural best, to motivate the PD’s Women’s team prior to their record 8th time win of the CNY. Her pre-race talk was completely inspiring and there was not dry eye and everyone knew what they had to do to become who they always knew they could be. And, many feel the successful result of that day would not have been achieved without Julia’s leadership, her words, her inspiration. She inspired the team to be achieve what they always knew they could do.

There are dozens of other instances of this and one I can fondly recount is her role as co-Campaign and sole-Regatta [Head] Coach for Macau 2010. She lead us to be the World Club Champions for the Premier Mixed 500m Event. Again her pre-race talk, motivated us to believe in ourselves to become world champions that day.

Julia creates, leads, unifies and motivates a team, and the individuals within it. She is the true essence of the word inspiration.

Congratulations Julia.

National Champions (photo taken by Jenny) - 2006 AusDBF National Dragon Boat Champs - Nagambie (*) (Sun 16 April 2006)
Pacific Dragons Premier Women's Crew - CNY Pre-Final Huddle / Darling Harbour (Sat 08 Feb 2014)
Pacific Dragons Premier Women's Crew - CNY Post Final Photo / Darling Harbour (Sat 08 Feb 2014)
Joanne, Julia and Jenny - AusDBF Australian Champs After Party - Kawana (*) / Qld (Sun 25 Apr 2009)
Remembering Jenny by Julia Ryall

When the swell and the wind combine to treat us to runners,

when the boat run is magical and the sun shines on our backs,

when the water is warm and dolphins swim beside us,

when a rainbow forms overhead or gold hangs warmly on our chests,

when there is a splash, a laugh, a smile or an embrace,

when each individual feels a sense of achievement and

when the team is proud…

We will think of Jen. And, she’ll be there, smiling, shining, sharing the moment.

Always.

Julia Ryall - Tue 30 Jun 2009

Igniting the Spark of Change by Durwin Long (21 Mar 2011)

Durwin Long writes in Igniting the Spark of Change (21 Mar 2011):

Change requires a spark that ignites an individual or a team do what is necessary to achieve a goal.

And, that spark can come from anyone at anytime.

The most effective leaders are the change agents who know how and when to light the spark that ignites a team to greatness.

Another great quote found from another Daniel Coyle Google Alert that came through today (and yes I have a copy and have read Daniel Coyle's book The Talent Code - it was the first book I bought and read after Jenny's passing).

The great thing about all my paddling experiences is that I have witnessed and been exposed to much of the insights, posted by other people, that I capture here on this blog, this post just being another instance. As an example, I can remember the exact moments for the Prague 2009 and Macau 2010 campaign's where I have witnessed the leadership to ignite the change needed to achieve our goals. There have been a few others that standout in my mind, including the Port Stephens 2008 OC6 Changes Race and the 2009 AusDBF National Dragon Boat Championships at Kawana/Qld. I hope to experience one of those moments for Tampa 2011. I will write about them all here one day. Funnily enough, I have already posted some thoughts on change and ignition here in Change [Inspiration] by Drew Ginn (11 Jun 2010) back on 16 Sep 2010.

I have been lead, inspired, motivated and trained by some Great Coaches and inspired by many of my fellow paddlers. The following photos representing a snippet of some of the great coaches, teams and people I have paddled with.

Geoff, JT and George - George congratulating his team after winning the National Title - my first Regatta - Masters Open Final 500m - 2005 AusDBF National DB Titles - Yarraluma / Canberra (Fri 8 Apr 2005)
Australian Senior Dragon Boat Open, Womens and Mixed Teams - George Dimech, Deb Hirst, Eileen McKechie, Sharyn Whitton, Donna Hughes, Joanne O'Brien, Jo Petterson, Ewen McDonald, Anne Weber, Geoff Eldridge, Ian George, Deb Cooper, Lisa Mills, David Barber, Leon Paap, Rick Lambe, Diana Dent, Lynne Donohoe, Peter McAlister, Gio Cercone, Frank Calcara, Lisa Fairfull, Kristin McKechie, Ashur Barutha, Rob Turnbull, Pam Jeffery, Kaizer Austin, Matt Spies, Ray Debono, Graeme Bacon, Richard Thomson, Murray Pellicciaro, Becky Bose, Willy Paku, Vince Giannetto, Amanda Wyllie, Mark Pendergast, Danny Monga, Charlotte Richards, Helen Hudson, George Louie, Rachel Mosen, Jane Perkins, Rosemary Riley, Fiona Gray, Linda Collins, Rachel Giang, Steve McKeogh, Doreen MacGillivray, Karen Hall (missing) - Racice / Prague - Tue 25 Aug 2009 (picasa)
'Thanks Pacific Dragons - (l-b-f-r) Rachel, Anne, Norm, Kaizer, Jo, Toby, Helen, Gav, Matt, Annett, Di, Dave, Charlotte, Amanda, Becky, Linda, Lisa, Joanne, Michelle, Geoff, Adam, Darren, Graeme, Billy (and Eugene missing)' - Racice / Prague - Thu 27 Aug 2009 (picasa)
Pacific Dragons Family' - (l-b-f-r) Geoff, Graeme, Kaizer, Norm, Lisa, Christian, Darren, Adam, Mark, Todd, Jo, Dave, Matt, Helen, Jenny, Gav, John, Eugene, Kristen, Christoph, PaulC, Mandy, Julia, Craig, Dean, Phil, Toby, Andrew, Shell, Becky, Jo, Bonny, Mel, Kath, Phil, Charlotte, Nicola, Lucy, Di, Dave, Leesa, Rachel, Michelle, PaulS, Suzy, Amanda, Linda, Annett, Billy. - AusDBF 2009 National Dragon Boat Titles - Kawana / Qld - Sun 26 Apr 2009 (picasa)
Marty, Norm, Christian, Todd and Billy - State Titles OC6 Long Course - Ettalong - Sat 09 May 2009 (picasa)
Todd, Julia and Geoff - "Todd always keeps me calm and was my OC6 Coach 2008 and 2009 - Julia has been my DB Coach since 2005, she is so perceptive and knows exactly what to say when it counts the most" - King Street / Newtown (Wed 18 Nov 2009)
Gav and Geoff - we were pretty happy, I had steered the Men's B Crew who had a great race and Gav was Seat 1 in the A Crew which took out the Long Course Men's Title. Gav has also been my DB Coach since 2005. He is a warrior and a legend. - OC6 State Title - Port Stephens (27 Mar 2010)
Joanne, Serge and Geoff - Serge lead the first Auora's Team to the 2010 Asian Champs in Wujin. It was an amazing and formative experience for all us who embraced the changes and new approach. Will never forget the Team huddle after the last race (the 5km turns race) and he told us we were the first Aurora's - no one can take that from us - he was proud of us. - Wujin/China - Sun 2 May 2010
Some more from Durwin Long's post, which introduces Daniel Coyle's concepts termed Ignition and Deep Practice.

Daniel Coyle writes about change when he introduces the concept of ignition in The Talent Code. Simply put, Coyle’s concept of ignition refers to the exact moment when an individual is captivated by a new idea or experience. In turn, that spark of interest crystallizes a goal and motivates action toward that goal. [..]

The transformational change represented by ignition is the precursor to the "deep practice" that Coyle says is also essential for anyone who seeks to achieve excellence. For once a person is committed to a goal because he or she wholeheartedly believes in it, the work required to achieve the goal is no longer a chore but a source of fulfillment.

The last paragraph reminds me of this post - What matters most is what we believe about ourselves - Alain Briot (Dec 2010).

Change [Inspiration] by Drew Ginn (11 Jun 2010)

Change by Drew Ginn (11 Jun 2007) ..

[..] Other influences have been other athletes and crews.

Some of the major shifts in perception I have experienced have come about from observing what others do.

At a critical point two athletes stood out to me more than even the guys like the Oarsome Foursome.

Richard Wearne and Rob Walker raced the pair for Australia in 1994 and 1995.

Through their performances in those years they brought the idea and the possibility of being able to mix it at the highest level in to sharp focus.

The reason for this was that when I came into the sport the likes of the Oarsome Foursome were already established and they commanded attention.

In the season of 94 I was an U23 athlete just starting out and during out domestic season I had the chance to race against Richard and Rob in small boats.

At the time they were not together in the pair but I can still remember vividly when they became selected as the pair and went on to race at the World and win the bronze medal.

I thought, wow look at what those guys did that was amazing, and I was racing against them here in Australia.

It blew my mind to think that they were that good.

To compete in the way they did and to challenge the best in the World in the pair was something that triggered inside me a sense of possibility.

I heard many stories about how they went from selection into training and how they changed from domestic athletes into international competitors.

They weren’t big like Redgrave and co. They weren’t as laid back and considered as talented like the Oarsome Foursome.

They were races and found a harmony in the boat that enabled them to fly in the pair. They took on the challenge and performed.

It showed the way for a new generation to follow. They bridged the gap that had formed behind the four.

What’s amazing was how after they broke through so many other athletes started to believe they could do it to.

The gap had finally been crossed. [..]

Another part (2nd of 3) from a Favourite Blog Post titled Change by Drew Ginn (11 Jun 2007).

The point of this is that we can be inspired and motivated by others (ignition as Dan Coyle calls it in the Talent Code). A few people have helped me Believe and have inspired me to achieve things I would never have considered possible.

I hope that others might also Believe that anything is possible if we believe and take up the challenges before us

Senior Mixed 500m Final - Prague/Day 4 - 29 Aug 2009

Video: Senior Mixed 500m Final - Prague/Day 4 - 29 Aug 2009

Premier Mixed 500m Final - Macau/China - Sat 31 Jul 2010
Premier Mixed 500m Final - Pacific Dragons - Lane 2 - Macau/China - Sat 31 Jul 2010

Macau 2010: CCWC 2010 Mixed 500m Finals

Another video of the CCWC 2010 Mixed 500m Finals, including a couple of minutes of post race celebration on the water.
Nice to have these memories captured on video.

Jenny - "Don't Wonder 'What If?'"

Jenny - "Don't Wonder 'What If?'"

Macau 2010: Intention and Reflection

Intention & Reflection by Drew Ginn (7 May 2007)

What does it mean to have conscious intent?

To be fully engaged and intentionally focused is a critical ingredient for improving performance.

Maintaining a clear focus when everything becomes hazy with fatigue and stress is certainly some thing I practice.

It is something that I work on while engaged in any activity, in fact that is the greatest part you can practice it any time.

Being clear about what, how and why creates a purposeful performance and intention is that capacity to transfer thought in to action.

It is easy to switch off and go through the motions, but to stay present and aware is a challenge, at least initially.

That's why I love training by myself sometimes, it enables me to practice finding that clarity and to apply thought or mental image to action.

Reflection is important to ensure that what you intent is realised and it is upon reflection that insights are gained about how to improve each session, each stroke, each race and each season.

Clear intention is like a laser. It penetrates through the power of unity. A diffused athlete is more likely to under perform than an athlete who is clear, driven and focused.

Another blog post that I keep coming back to read.

Now that we are back from Macau, it is a good time to reflect on what was achieved and how it was done ..

CCWC Mixed 500m Final (Video Screen) - Pacific Dragons/Lane 2 - Macau/China- Sat 31 Jul 2010
Premier Mixed 500m Final - Macau/China - Sat 31 Jul 2010
CCWC Mixed 500m Final - Pacific Dragons - Macau/China- Sat 31 Jul 2010
Premier Mixed 500m Medal Presentation - Pacific Dragons/World Champions - Sun 01 Aug 2010
Pacific Dragons Premier Mixed 500m Team - Back (l-r) Geoff Eldridge, Norman Joe, Rachel Mosen, Kerry Davenport, Darren Ma, Todd Skeels, Craig Stewart, Justin Spake, Michal Hrcka, Suzy Kong, Annett Happich, Mark Hall, Lisa Green, Stuart Young, Toby Wilson, Graeme Bacon Front (l-r) Michelle Ng, Helen Papin, Christian Happich, Matt Spies, Michelle Hone, Nicola Frowen, Di Morgan, Paul Smith, Christophe Pistoni, Julia Ryall, Kathaleen Burrows - Macau/China - Sun 01 Aug 2010

Favourite Photos: Tung Chung Intersection - Hong Kong - Jul 2010

Intersection - Tung Chung/Lantau Island/Hong Kong - Mon 26 Jul 2010
Seem to be drawn to Intersections, Pedestrian Crossings, Safey Barriers, Traffic Signs and Road Markings. Saw the above photo while waiting to catch the Cable Car (Ngong Ping 360) to see the Tian Tan Buddha. This is just one of many Intersection photos I have taken over the years. Very Smart like.

Study for 'Car Park at Night' - Jeffrey Smart - oil on canvas, 56 x 46cm - 1986

Macau 2010: The warrior of light is a believer ..

The warrior of light is a believer.

Because he believes in miracles, miracles begin to happen. Because he is sure that his thoughts can change his life, his life begins to change. Because he is certain that he will find love, that love appears.

Now and then he is disappointed. Sometimes he gets hurt.

Then he hears people say ‘He is so ingenuous’

But the warrior knows that it is worth it. For every defeat, he has two victories in his favour.

All believers know this.

From the Manual of Warrior of Light by Paulo Coelho. A really hard campaign (and here) for me in many ways, but I know we believed when it counted most - it was a matter of 'remembering and honouring', and 'letting go' at the same time .

Pacific Dragons 2km Premier Mixed Team - (b-f-l-r) Kaizer Austin, Michelle Hone, Lisa Green, Rachel Mosen, Joanne Petterson, Nicola Frowen, Geoff Eldridge (Jenny's Candle), Kerry Davenport, Helen Papin, Paul Smith, Di Morgan, Michelle Ng, Stuart Young, Anne Weber, Christian Happich, Annett Happich, Christophe Pistoni, Craig Stewart, Graeme Bacon, Matt Spies, Michal Hrcka, Justin Spake, Mark Hall, Todd Skeels, Norman Joe - Macau/China - Thu 29 Jul 2009
A candle for Jenny - Macau/China - Thu 29 Jul 2009
Pacific Dragons Small Boat 200m Premier Womens - (b-f-l-r) Michelle Hone, Nicola Frowen, Joanne Petterson, Annett Happich, Michelle Ng, Anne Weber, kathaleen Burrows, Di Morgan, Julia Ryall, Suzy Kong, Kerry Davenport, Helen Papin, Lisa Green, Rachel Mosen - Macau/China - Fri 30 Jul 2010
Geoff, Joanne and Mike Haslam - Macau/China - Fri 30 Jul 2010
Premier Mixed 500m Final - Macau/China - Sat 31 Jul 2010
Pacific Dragons Premier Mixed 500m Team - Back (l-r) Geoff Eldridge, Norman Joe, Rachel Mosen, Kerry Davenport, Darren Ma, Todd Skeels, Craig Stewart, Justin Spake, Michal Hrcka, Suzy Kong, Annett Happich, Mark Hall, Lisa Green, Stuart Young, Toby Wilson, Graeme Bacon Front (l-r) Michelle Ng, Helen Papin, Christian Happich, Matt Spies, Michelle Hone, Nicola Frowen, Di Morgan, Paul Smith, Christophe Pistoni, Julia Ryall, Kathaleen Burrows - Macau/China - Sun 01 Aug 2010

Macau 2010: The Warrior's Motivation and Inspiration ..

One day, for no apparent reason, the warrior realises that he does not feel the same enthusiasm for the fight that he used to.

He continues to do what he has always done, but every gesture seems meaningless. At such a time, he has only one choice: to continue fighting the Good Fight. He says his prayers out of duty or fear or whatever, but he does not abandon the path.

He knows that the angel of the One who inspires him has simply wandered off somewhere. The warrior keeps his attention focused on the battle and he perseveres, even when everything seems utterly pointless. The angel will soon return and the merest flutter of her wings will restore the warrior's joy to him.

From the Manual of Warrior of Light by Paulo Coelho - (more here). More about Macau 2010.

Geoff and Joanne - Macau/China - Fri 30 Jul 2010
A candle for Jenny - Macau/China - Thu 29 Jul 2009
Hotel Eaton/Hong Kong - Tue 27 Jul 2010
Joanne and Geoff - Ord River Marathon - Kununarra/WA - Sun 13 Jun 2010
Geoff and Joanne - 2010 Asian Dragon Boat Championships - Wujin/China - Sat 01 May 2010
Geoff and Joanne - 2010 Asian Dragon Boat Championships Opening Ceremony - Wujin/China - Fri 30 Apr 2010
Geoff and Joanne - AusDBF National Dragon Boat Championships - Adelaide - Sun 25 Apr 2010
Back (l-r) Mark Hall, Michal Hrcka, Marty Doherty, Craig Stewart, Graeme Bacon, Grant Billen, Norman Joe, Stuart Young Front (l-r) Adrian Wicks, Moana, Geoff Eldridge, Gavin Godfrey, Matt Spies - Pacific Dragons Mens Outriggers - OC6 State Marathon Titles/Port Stephens - Sat 27 Mar 2010
Jenny, Geoff and Joanne - St George Private Hospital - Sun 19 Aug 2006 (picasa)
Geoff and Jenny - 2nd Wedding Anniversay - Quay West/Sydney - Tue 30 Apr 2002

Favourite Photos: Macau/China 2010 - Green and Yellow

Green and Yellow - Macau - Mon 02 Aug 2010 - (picasa)
Just back from a week in Macau for the 7th IDBF Club Crew World Dragon Boat Championships. Had a chance to wander around yesterday and found this photo which continues with the same colour theme as Blue (Fowey/UK - Sep/2010) and Green (Shanghai - May/2010).