Elaine Kelly is the regional portfolio manager for the Gulf region at Microsoft in Dubai. In her spare time, she enjoys dragon boat racing, a sport that has its roots in an ancient Chinese ritual dating back more than 2,400 years.
What is dragon boat racing?
It is 20 people sitting in a boat, with two people next to each other, paddling in perfect time from one end of the race to another, which is usually 200, 500 or 1,000 metres. There's a person who steers on the back of the boat and there's someone who bangs a drum at the front.
What is the drum for?
We have to paddle in unison, so that's the beat and everyone follows. You have to paddle in complete synchronicity. If you don't, you don't travel through the water as quickly. Apart from the drum, how does dragon boat racing differ from races between Oxford and Cambridge teams on the Thames? That's rowing. They are in a very long flat boat there. (Dragon boats) are a bit like a canoe but it's very long and very narrow. It tapers at each end and it has a lot more people on it, 20 people. In rowing you might have six or eight. You use a paddle as well.
How did you get into it?
There were a couple of people who had been kayaking and dragon boating elsewhere so they offered to coach us and I thought it sounded like a fun thing for myself and my husband to do. We started training in the pool in canoes because we didn't have any dragon boats. A couple of people thought this could be a good business opportunity, so they invested money to buy some boats. I think the first boat arrived three days before we were leaving to compete in a competition in Sarawak, Malaysia, so we didn't get much chance to use them.
And the dragon boat club association was set up after that?
Yes, when we got back we started paddling competitively and from there it has branched out into an event that attracts hundreds of people including teams that practice all year, as well as corporate teams. There's a big event taking place at the Shagri-La in Abu Dhabi in October, where corporate teams and competitive teams compete.
Is it popular in Dubai?
It is. There are probably nine competitive teams now that practice on a regular basis and then there are corporate teams. I am putting a team together for Microsoft for the October event and getting my colleagues together to compete.
Is it a good team-building exercise?
It is. We have to paddle together, so we have to really work as a team. It's a nice analogy for working in a company as we are working together towards one goal, listening to one person who is leading and directing us.
Have your colleagues tried it already?
Yes, about 10 of them have and they really enjoyed it.
To register for the October event, email info@sirenevents.com
* Gillian Duncan