Dragon Boat Dreams: A Mother-Daughter Team at the World Championships
Portia Roberts, a determined 18-year-old, stands on the threshold of world sporting greatness. Elevated by a family passion, she is set to captain the Australian under-18s team at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships. Across continents, her mother, Justine, paddles alongside her, living a shared dream they never imagined would reach the world stage.
Seeds of Champions
As a wide-eyed 12-year-old, Portia would join her mother and grandmother in playful dragon boat mimicry, using sticks and buckets as instruments of pretend racing. Her initiation into the sport was grounded in watching families unite, sharing joy with every stroke, and locking onto the sport’s rhythm.
Jump forward to now, Portia stands not only as a participant but a pillar of leadership, drawn from countless mornings spent in training and honing her craft. Her youthful energy is channeled into early morning workouts, balancing the physical demands of dragon boating with the academic rigor of year 12.
Generations on Water
Justine’s journey into dragon boating began as a personal exploration in 2017, post-commute liberation when a colleague’s casual invitation turned into a life-changing passion. It quickly grew into a family activity with father, mother, and grandmother joining in—a crew embodying familial love across three generations.
“At one stage we had three generations in the crew,” Justine exclaims, reflecting on their unique bond.
Balancing Books and Oars
Portia’s knack for dragon boating blossomed at just 15, when talent scouts spotted her at a NSW representative team’s training. Her prowess caught the eye of national coaches, solidifying her path as an elite athlete.
“Managing school and sport is a balancing act,” shares Portia, detailing her day-to-day grind of studying en-route to intensive training sessions in Sydney—demonstrating an inspiring dedication mirrored by her mother’s balancing act between nursing and high-performance sport.
A New Chapter for Justine
This global event marks Justine’s first representation of Australia, racing as part of the pioneering Australian Paradragons. “To be able to paddle with athletes conquering adversity is inspiring,” she notes. The strength gained through her own adversities informs her paddle’s every stroke, with shared familial pride as the heartbeat of her journey.
Come July 14 in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, the family will embody the Australian spirit on international waters. United by love and passion, they paddle in harmony, inspiring nations as testament to the power of shared dreams and family bonds.
According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation, such heartfelt stories inspire not only within the bounds of sport but in the broader spectrum of shared human experience.