When he wins a battle, the warrior celebrates

When he wins a battle, the warrior celebrates.

This victory has cost him anxious moments, nights racked with doubt, endless days of waiting. Since ancient times, celebrating a triumph has been part of the ritual of life itself: celebration is a rite of passage.

His companions see the warrior of light's joy and think: 'Why is he doing that? He might be disappointed in his next battle. He might draw down on himself the wrath of his enemy.'

But the warrior knows why he is celebrating. He is savouring the best gift that victory can bring: confidence.

He celebrates yesterday's victory in order to gain more strength for tomorrow's battle.

From the Manual of Warrior of Light by Paulo Coelho - (more here).

The above passage now makes me realise why we should celebrate our little successes and achievements - it is not just about celebrating the victory!!

Jenny - she has just been presented with 2006 Aus Flag Bearer Recognition Trophy (Macau 2006 - a story for another day) - Kawana - 23 Apr 2009 (picasa)
Hard to believe that 12 months has almost gone by since the 2009 AusDBF National Dragon Boat Titles at Kawana. As we go through the final selection process and complete our final training sessions, I guess it is a good time to reflect on past experiences.

We did have a great time at the 2009 Nationals and it was fantastic that Jenny was with us. The day before we flew to the Sunshine coast, Jenny had her 5th cycle of fortnightly treatment (chemo and another drug, Avastin) and was still able to paddle for her State and Club over the Regatta. She did experience numerous visual migraines at night, which a month later would be diagnosed as being caused by a 4cm brain tumor. She also worried that the tumors in her liver would cause painful cramping in her stomach, but this did not occur while she was paddling.

Jenny, Geoff and Joanne - State - Kawana - 23 Apr 2009 (picass)

Jenny, Jo and Geoff - 200m Men's and Women's Tropy's - Breakfree Resort/Caloundra - 26 Apr 2009 (picasa)

The following is a small photo essay of the "9 from 9" effort by my club, the Pacific Dragons. This result was never expected and we took it one race at a time. Each day the Women's Crew would put the race of a lifetime on the water in the final and somehow come across the line first. This then put the pressure on the Men's crew to do the same. A few strategic words, a couple of calming and distracting jokes, and the moving story of brave little Tommy , from Gav would get us on the water to do the best we could. The rest is now history.

Gav gave Eugene (my seat 1 partner) and myself, the great honour of receiving the last club trophy to be presented at the Regatta. It was an amazing moment for Eugene and I, as we held aloft the Gold Medals and 200m Open's Winning Trophy. The assembled Australian Dragon Boat Community stood and applauded the amazing and historic achievement of our club, the Pacific Dragons. I had never seen anything like it and was humbled by the genorosity of spirit the Australian Dragon Boat community displayed that day to our Coaches, Teams, and Club.

All the best to every competing at the 2010 AusDBF National Dragon Boat Championships in Adelaide over the Anzac Weekend. Look forward to some great racing and catching up with many friends, and hopefully making some new friends on and off the water.

See you in Adelaide. Jenny's Spirit and Memory will be with us. She Guides and Inspires us from Above.

PD's Premier Open 200m Final - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2010 (picasa)

Premier Opens 200m Final - AusDBF 2009 National Dragon Boat Champs - Kawana/Qld - Sun 26 Apr 2009 (at youtube by warwick27au)

The smile says it all - "9 from 9" - tidying up the Cox Vox cable after the Premier Open 200m Final - Anne would ask me to come and celebrate with the Team off the water - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2009 (picasa)

Eugene and Geoff - Premier Open 200m Presentation - "PD's - nine from nine !! - I did not really want this weekend to end as I kind of knew the end was beginning to start (Editors: An End has a Start)." - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2009 (picasa)

The Australian Dragon Boat Community acknowledging Pacific Dragons "9 from 9" - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2009 (picasa)

Lost in the Crowd - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2009 (picasa)

PD's Premier Open Men - After Party Celebration - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2010 (picasa)

Pacific Dragons - After Party Celebration - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2010 (picasa)

The Orange Wave - Gav Crowd Surfing - Just go with it Gav - After Party Celebration - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2010 (picasa)

Joanne, Helen, Jenny and Nicola - After Party Celebration - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2010 (picasa)

Joanne, Jenny and Geoff - After Party Celebration - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2010 (picasa)


Vale Jenny Petterson - picasaweb - A Pocketful of Sequins - PD's Tribute (picasa)

Five One Hundredths of a Second - 500m Premier Opens Final - AusDBF Nats / Penrith (Fri 19 Apr 2013)

Five One Hundredths of a Second - 500m Premier Opens Final - AusDBF Nats / Penrith (Fri 19 Apr 2013)
Once, twice or, maybe three times (if you are fortunate enough and willing to take the risks) in a paddling career you do something unbelievable. Something you just can’ t explain, though sometimes it worth giving it a try. Here goes ..

You are happy you have made the major final. You know you are up against strong teams. The favourite, the team directly on your left, you have not beaten in three years. In fact you have not been within a boat length, over 500m, for the last two years. Against the odds, and your failing self-confidence, you still somehow believe that we can still get across the line first. To be part of of something great. There is always hope at the start. It is a chance to create who you want to be. You don't get your hopes up too high, as you have been disappointed in the past. You don't think about all of this too much at this point. The focus is putting your best race on the water and seeing how it compares to the others when you have all crossed the line. You are not overly nervous, but you are excited and proud to be there. A supportive and encouraging tap on the knee for those around you. Remember it is a 30 stroke start. Just focus on the first 3 strokes and take it one by one from there. Clean water. Hand out of the water. Blade buried. Make sure you feel and stay connected with the water with every stroke. The starter aligns us and we ready. "Paddlers, are you ready, attention please" .... the gun does not fire for some reason. This has happened a few time before over the years. Keep your focus, no distractions. We will be away soon. Refocus, lets do it again - 30 Start, first 3, deep and clean - feel the water. "Paddlers, are you ready, attention please" ... "GO". You Go on the "G". 1-2-3, up, up, .. 10, up, up, .. 20, up, up, ..7,..30, reach, reach, hinge, hinge. The boat is up and running and there is something there. We are hingeing and driving through the stroke. The boat is more than running, it is been driven through the stroke like it has felt in training over last few weeks, except this time it is race intensity, not level 4, Remember this Geoff, Remember this moment. We are there next to them, where usually they pull away here, but we talked about staying connected. Give it everything to the 250m and refocus. Somehow, we are sttil there at the 250m. Refocus and reinvent yourself, I think. Drive, Drive is the call, We are still there, connected. You have a 6th sense (and good hearing) and you know without looking that our drummers are side by side. Passing the 200m start hut and the little red lane marker buoy. There is something uplifting in our Sweep's voice - "you are doing it". The lane buoys turn to red - we are 100m out. We have done everything our training has given our bodies - it's amazing to find that something extra that the sport scientists say should not be there. Mentally, prepare for the lift home. This is the most crucial part of the race - they are probably a nose ahead. We are going to have to do something amazing - something the other teams have pulled on us often over the years. "do it for the gold (or was it girls?)" is the call. We lift. We lift. The rate comes up a touch and the boat becomes light as we surge forward with every stroke - narrowing the margin. It is all clear as day, those last few strokes. You give it everything you've got when there is nothing to give. You cross the line, you hear the finish horn blast away in succussion. You look across and you know you have done it. The look in your competitors faces tell you that they know you have also done it and you take a few quiet moments to take it all in, while some of the others around you show their elation more jubilantly. Gasping for air, you touch the same knees as you did before the start. This time the "ritual" tap is to acknowledge your team mates efforts and the fact that you have done something that does not happen that often in a paddling career. "Three cheers for the other crews" is the call from our Drummer - three "hip hip". and a breathless "hooray". We bring the boats in and we all get off. Back slaps and hugs all around. Not even a second thought who won that one as you make your way through the other 180 or so paddlers you have just competed against. You smile and for some reason laugh. This kind of win does not happen that often - "take it in", "take it in" you say to yourself. You see many familiar faces as you walk through the line. They are happy for you. Many you have experienced some amazing experiences around the world in Australian Campaigns past and you hope that the journey with them will continue. Somewhere along the way you hear that we did it by five one hundredths of a second. You know the course well and you smile that you can pick such a small amount of time moments after crossing the line. What a race. You think to yourself, "it's not that we won it, it is how we won it" – it's just not what was expected by many (including yourself) and that is the beauty of dragon boat racing - the randomness and uncertainty to some extent. The boat has never felt like that out of the start and into the transition. You think to yourself, you have never paddled like that before. You feel fortunate that you took the risk to be there, you did the training, the testing, you've put yourself on the line time and time again. You have been crushed by the ramifications of defeat and oddly enough, those one or two other once in a life time victories . At the end of the day you know that it is worth the sacrifices you make to do what you have done, do and hope to do. Maybe this is not the end, but a new beginning ..

I will leave this unedited. It’s just a stream of thought that came out of my subconscious in the last 20 mins. Hope it makes sense and it will be fun to read, many year’s into the future.

Five One Hundredths of a Second - 500m Premier Opens Final - AusDBF Nats / Penrith (Fri 19 Apr 2013)

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

On Taking a Risk - Iain S. Thomas (Mon 18 May 2015)

Untitled - Chippendale (Tue 09 Jun 2015)

Iain S. Thomas on Taking a Risk:

I have seen people wait their entire life for the perfect moment to squeeze their heart, and that moment never came. I have seen people risk it all too late, be amazed by what they found, and cry over the time they wasted. I have seen people disappointed and sad and poor and more aware of who they are and what they are than anyone who didn't dare risk what they risked. I have seen people never know their own heart, and they may as well have never had one.

Via The Risks of Never Reaching Inside Your Own Chest by Iain S. Thomas.

On Giving it a Crack - Nathan Haas / Cycling Central (Sat 18 Jul 2015)

Descent - Ultimo (Mon 20 Jul 2015)

Nathan Haas on Competing:

I was feeling terrible so I thought sometimes when you feel terrible, everyone must, so I thought I’d give it a crack and see where they were,

I was away for a little bit, but then they started working so it was unfortunate. They were on good days too.

via Haas shows class but can't hold on by Cycling Central.

You have to keep these kind of thoughts in your head when competing. So if you are feeling tired (or terrible as Nathan puts it), you have to remember those you are competing against, will most likely be feeling the same. This then is your big chance to give it a crack and test yourself and the others out. One day it will work for you. He added that while he was disappointed, he confidently felt his first win at the TdF will be even an sweeter experience. Love the attitude and confidence. Go Nathan.

Hong Kong Colours #2 - A Little Bit of Red - Jordan / Hong Kong (Mon 02 Jul and Wed 11 Jul 2012)

Hong Kong Colours #2 - A Little Bit of Red #1 - Jordan / Hong Kong (Mon 02 Jul 2012)
Hong Kong Colours #2 - A Little Bit of Red #2 - Jordan / Hong Kong (Mon 02 Jul 2012)
The bike was the delivery bike for the Restaurant which we ate at for lunch. I took the photo of it before we entered the Restaurant.

Very nice place. The red and green coloured seats are what convinced us to give it a go - obviously a great reason to chose a place to eat at, particularly in unfamiliar territory. Jo kindly agreed to eating here and we were not disappointed. It was just what we were looking for - that being local food, eaten by the locals and well off the tourist track. Like most places we ate at no one could speak english and a menu with pictures was used to indicate our choices.

As we ate our meals, the delivery guy left with a plastic bag of takeaway boxes. He returned a few minutes later with the plastic bag still full and there was much laughter amongst the staff. There did not seem to be too much concern for the delivery and it looked unlikelly the order would be delivered.

We could not quite work out why and what was happening, When we left, we saw the bike again and it had a flat back tyre - this was obviously the source of the laughter. No doubt a quick trip to the bike repair guy (*) would get the show back on the road.

There is always a reason for everything. As my paddling buddy, Eugene (*), once said:

Everything happens for a reason.

Sometimes it just takes a bit of time to work it out, if you keep your eyes open.

The Warrior of Light is a Believer - Tampa 2011 Reflections (30 Aug 2012)

The following quote (I have posted it here about a year ago) is the last thing I said to the Team as I handed out the gifts to the Aurora's Grand Master's Leadership and Management Team.

I had thought of this story as I reflected on my campaign for Tampa 2011 over the last few days of the event. The campaign did give me a goal and focus at a time (might be best called a distraction) when I was struggling most with Jenny's loss. In many ways it helped give me some purpose to my life and I would like to think that the experience was worth it just for that.

I was proud to deliver my Crew Leader Speech (*) to the Aurora's Squad and to be able to nominate Joanne as a possible Flag Bearer. I will publish the nomination here when I get home in a few weeks time.

For the rest of 2011, I plan to just paddle and enjoy myself just doing that. Having thrown everything at the campaign, I need to start picking up the pieces of that has been neglected through distraction and keep moving forward.

It was a difficult campaign for me in many ways and with all that happened I would still like to think that I am still a believer. After all three steps forward and two steps back is still a step in the right direction.

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's 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 The Manual of the Warrior of Light by Paulo Coehlo.

Stencil - Lower East / New York City (Wed 17 Aug 2011)

On Photography - Then and Now

Sculpture - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)
Kirk Tuck (*) writes in Reaching back Thirty Three Years [..] (*)

I like to go back to stuff I did a long time ago and see how it compares to the stuff I'm doing now.

In many instances I'm disappointed with what I'm doing now when I see the images I made when I was [..] very new to the field of photography.

I know what Kirk means. I look back to these photos and I wonder whether I have really made any progress. In the end I think I have. I have learnt a lot about the medium of photography and it's history. So for that I am grateful.

Sculpture - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)

Hope, Optimism and Disappointment - Geoff Dyer / Michelle Griffin (Sat 02 Jul 2016)

red lips - a kiss - Broadway / Sydney (Sat 02 Jul 2016)

Geoff Dyer on Hope, Optimism and Disappointment:

I'm still full of hope and optimism, which is a precondition for being disappointed

via Geoff Dyer interview: The crucial question of trust in his writing by Michelle Griffin.

red lips - a kiss - Broadway / Sydney (Sat 02 Jul 2016)

On Competing - Simon Gerrans (Sun 28 Sep 2014)

Untitled - Tour of Great Britain / London (Sun 14 Sep 2014)
Simon Gerrans (*) writes on Competing (*):

Happy with the result, but at the same time just slightly disappointed, [..] I raced a good race, I had fantastic support from Aussie team mates as usual. I can’t thank them enough. At the end of day, I was just beaten by a better rider.

via Gerrans: ‘At the end of the day, I was beaten by a better rider’ (*) by Cycljng Tips (*).