The Cebu-based Philippine Accessible Disability Services (PADS) Adaptive Dragon Boat Racing Team executed a historic feat after winning four gold medals in the International Dragon Boat Federation’s (IDBF) 13th Club Crew World Championships in Florida.
The group made history as the first Filipino para dragon boat team to compete and win in the para dragon boat category of the Club Crew World Championships.
The Cebuano paddlers topped four categories in the competition:
- Gold, 2000 m PD2
- Gold, 500m PD2
- Gold, 200m PD1
- Gold, 200m PD2
Team manager JP Maunes dedicated PADS’ gold medal haul to all Filipinos with disabilities, adding that nothing is impossible to achieve in sports.
“To all Filipinos with disabilities, walay impossible basta maningkamot lang ta, kung nabuhat namo,mabuhat usab ni ninyong tanan. Nothing is impossible in Sports!” JP Maunes said in a Facebook post.
It was an emotional race for the Filipino athletes because the journey to the finish line was not easy for the team, PADS shared on social media.
The Filipino team faced financial constraints and struggled with funding prior to joining the IDBF 13th Club Crew World Championships in the United States. The athletes also dealt with various challenges and overcame adversities to finally emerge victorious in one of the world’s biggest dragon boat competitions.
“As we look back 6 years ago, all we had was our dreams, now these dreams are slowly becoming a reality as we reap the fruits of our hard work, dedication and sacrifices and of course, an entire community to back us up,” PADS shared in its Facebook account.
The 13th IDBF Club Crew World Championships was held at the Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, the USA, from July 18 to 24, 2022.
The Club Crew World Championships were hosted and organized by the United States Dragon Boat Federation in conjunction with the International Dragon Boat Federation.
The Philippine Paradragon Elite Team of PADS earlier established the first World Records at the first Para-Dragon Boat Competition of the IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Thailand.
Filipino para athletes recently made history by securing the Philippines’ best medal finish at the ASEAN Para Games in Solo, Indonesia.
WATCH THE TEAM WIN and SEND CHEERS in the comments below to the Cebu-based Philippine Accessible Disability Services (PADS) Adaptive Dragon Boat Racing Team for winning four gold medals in the International Dragon Boat Federation’s (IDBF) 13th Club Crew World Championships in Florida.
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