Local dragon boating prodigy Amelia Anderson is aiming to be one of many paddlers guiding Australia to a gold medal when she represents the country at the International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships in Thailand later this month.
The 16-year-old is a member of the Mandurah Dragon Boat Club, and will compete as part of the country's under 18s squad after being named as one of eight juniors selected from Western Australia.
This will be Amelia's second world championship event, with the young star winning two golds and one silver medal as part of Australia's under 16s squad at the previous tournament in France in 2017.
Her selection to the under 18s follows a lengthy process, which starts a year before competition.
Once selected to the side, athletes follow a rigorous training regime to help them reach peak performance, with Amelia honing her skills paddling with the Western Australian Aurora crew in Fremantle six days a week.
The youngster has been dragon boating since she was 10-years-old, starting as a drummer.
She began paddling competitively at the age of 12, competing in state and national titles where she has stockpiled a stunning 27 medals.
Amelia kicks off her campaign on Tuesday, August 20, wrapping it up the following Sunday.
Her local Mandurah Dragon Boat Club is currently on the lookout for new members of all ages.
If you would like more information or to arrange some free trials, call Linda Anderson on 0405 252 639 or email Mdbcmandurah@gmail.com
