DRAGON boating ace Emily Forrest has been going from strength to strength on the water and is aiming for more success in the coming months in Great Britain colours.
The Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College (Worcester) student has been involved with dragon boating since the age of five as she used to watch both her father and brother, who are keen dragon boaters.
Emily started drumming for Pershore Phoenix Dragon Boat Club in 2011 and she started to paddle in the British National League in 2013.
She was asked to train with the Great Britain U18s in September 2014 and as part of her training she had to take up running, paddling O1s and weight training.
To qualify for the GB squad she had to undertake time trials at Liverpool Docks which included the paddling of a Trapper Canoe, an O1 and taking part in full dragon boating exercise.
Emily was delighted to be the fastest girl in the trapper and the second fastest girl in the O1.
The youngster has been participating in dragon boat racing since 2011 and is a member of Pershore Phoenix Dragon Boat Club.
Her brother Jamie, who was also a student at Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, represented GB U18s in the 2011 World Championships which were held in Tampa, Florida.
Emily has been training with the GB squad since October 2014 and her time trials were held at the Albert Dock in Liverpool in March.
In the trials she was the fastest girl in the Canadian Canoe (trapper), fastest girl in the ‘beep test’ (stamina) and second fastest girl over 1,000 metres in the ‘01’ (canoe with outrigger), being beaten by one second.
Emily said: “Dragon boating is a fantastic team sport. My team compete all over the country and it is a sport which does not have age barriers.
“I am really looking forward to visiting Niagara in Canada and I hope that we bring gold medals back to the UK and mine to Worcester.”