As with any sport you train hard and do all in your power to excel on competition day.  What you have absolutely no control over, however, are the conditions you meet at the competition venue on match or race day.

In my long history and I mean long history in sports, never before have I come across a group of determined, self-believing individuals as those sixteen (16) members of UTT's Dragon Boat Team. This UTT Team was easily considered the babies of Senior Dragon Boaters in Trinidad and Tobago, but as with all babies learning to walk, there will be the falls, missteps, bumps and bruises but with determination they are soon able to walk and even run.

Drawn in heat 4, lane 1 of the fifteenth race, UTT captained by Brandon Munroe and with Raynardo Hassanally at the Helms, were ready to go. However unlike the waters in Trinidad, the water at Pigeon Point Beach in Tobago was very choppy and had severe under-currents; but belief they had. On the blast of the starter's horn off they went. By the 10th paddle, UTT had a slender lead over Team Shockwave RA and Team Aquaforce, but by the 20th paddle, a wave hit UTT's boat and over they went into the waters. This meant that UTT's Argonauts were unable to complete the race and had to now rely on doing an excellent time in their one remaining heat.  Nonetheless the crowd clapped them as they came to shore, bruised but not out for the count, because this team believed.

On Sunday morning racing in heat 3 against the seasoned Vikings team, Argonauts were giving it one more try. Horn blasted, off they went. Learning from their experience of the day before this team dug deep and put every sinew of their strength into every paddle. "Is that UTT out in front?" asked a very surprised onlooker. "In sync" shouted another. Yes it was UTT's Argonauts leading the race and by the half-way mark (100m) it was a foregone conclusion. Vikings dug deep but it was all too late. This UTT team was proving that with determination and self-belief what seemed impossible was now possible. As they crossed the finish line the crowd clapped, yes, the team that overturned, the babies of Dragon Boating picked themselves up and showed what they were made of. Their time of 1 minute.05 seconds was one of the fastest on the day and the fastest they had ever done, a personal best for the team.

Many persons including the President of the Dragon Boat Federation came to personally congratulate the team on their togetherness and determination.
Although they did not medal, what's for certain is that "Team UTT Argonauts" is now a force to be reckoned with in the sport of Dragon Boat in Trinidad and Tobago.
Congratulations to the team, they represented well.