Born out of the University College, built by students.
Our History
In November of 1998, UC Students Senny Chung, Avery Arora, Andrea Hui, and Chuck Wen submitted a tentative proposal to the UC Literary and Athletic Society, to start a club dedicated to the -then - obscure sport of dragon boat racing.
Seven years later, the club became the top university division crew in Ontario, winning gold in the university championship division at the Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival in 2005. Our accomplishments have awarded us invitations to participate in an international dragon boat festival hosted by the Tianjin Dragon Boat Association (2004, 2006).
It was a pivotal year in 2013, as Jason Au returned to UC as a guest paddling coach. Along with Alumnus Alex Safir, Phil Toppin and Marco Vane, they brought UC back into the spotlight. And under Alyssa Metcalfe’s captainship, UC seeded 5th into the University Championship Final at the Toronto International Dragon Boat Racing Festival.
2015 was the year where we witnessed the growth of UC in numbers. Alongside the Water Dragons our new brethren named the Hydras was born, a new crew with new potential. With the doubling of the team our family became more supportive than ever and new exciting challenges awaited us for the years to come.
The goals of the team have scarcely changed in the course of its history. From its humble beginning, UCDBC has transformed into a highly competitive, social and multicultural university racing crew that competes in multiple regattas each season.
Our Core Values
DIVERSITY
Having a club with membership from all disciplines within the University of Toronto enriches the experience found in UCDBC. With people studying in programs such: as Kinesiology, English, Music, Architecture, and even Radiation Therapy, our members can learn much just being around one another. We also learn to accept each other’s practices, as many individuals originate from different backgrounds and ethnicities
EQUALITY
We continuously work to train athletes with equal attention and push each individual to their potential. Our years spent training has also featured a novice lifter reach new limits within any given season. When not training, we strive to give each individual a voice for many of our crucial decisions made within the team, whether it be the timing of a practice or a certain protocol.
IDENTITY
Our own identity to what a dragon boat team is separate from a typical sports team is what we excel at. Our established legacy and its ongoing contribution by new members reinforces our tradition as a team that can create something out of anything, as athletes who are not cogs of a machine but who are greatly valued and taught to grow and understand their contribution to the greater vision.
Mission Statement
To become a top-performing dragon boat team - pushing our athletes to become the best version of themselves in and out of the boat.
The Dragon boat community in entirety is composed of a large base of supportive and positive people with many interests and trajectories in life. THe network can be everlasting to many coming out of university and we aim to enhance its interconnectedness.
You are only given one body in your lifespan. We wish to treat it with care and ensure that each individual feeds and nurtures it properly. Well instructed and safe training is the key to the development of your muscles and we aim to spread our knowledge to all that are interested.
We constantly strive to be a club for all University College Students. Our impact as a club in the University of Toronto community is strong at the gym and all around campus. The University College is our home and we want all UC students to experience their potential that UCDBC can offer.
This is the motto that we as a team and family stand for. To show commitment and full-on effort during training whether it is during the off-season or water-season is to "Make Waves". To channel the progress you have made into performance and results during competitions is to "Make History".