22 in Sync take second in their division at Steveston Dragon Boat Festival

The ladies of the 22 in Sync dragon boat team took second in their division at the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival on Aug. 25.

The team was the only one from Penticton to compete in the festival this year. Cold and rainy weather presented a challenge for the ladies, but one that they quickly rose to.

“It was challenging, you drop your jackets before you get in the boat, so you’re just in a short-sleeve and you’re cold,” said Penny Seely, the team’s coach.

The team first competed in two 200-metre qualifying races, which left them in 20th position out of 30 teams. They then competed in the 500-m semi-finals for the C/D division where they came in second place with a time of 2:40.380.

This meant the team qualified to race in the final for C division. The ladies gave it their all and came in second with a time of 2:46.65, just one tenth of a second behind the team that placed first.

“The ladies did really well in both of their last races, they came from behind in both of them to take second place,” said Seely. “It was in the last 25 metres that they came ahead.”

The team has been struggling to get in practices over the last two weeks due to the air quality conditions. 22 in Sync will be one of the teams competing in the upcoming Penticton Dragon Boat Festival on Sept. 8 and 9 on Skaha Lake.

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