Gallery • 2 Photos

Provided by Lucas Nguyen

Nguyen takes his first picture in front of a lake after finding out he made the team. This photo was taken at Santa Fe Dam.

The steady beat of a drum echoed across the water. Twenty paddles struck the surface of the water in perfect unison as the crowd roared and cheered from the shore.

The competitors were eager to showcase their months of training and teamwork on the world stage.

For one competitor, this wasn’t just another race. It was the culmination of years of dedication, determination and discipline that took him across the world to compete against the best.

Sophomore Lucas Nguyen stood among the elite as he represented Team USA and won second place at the 17th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships from July 14-20 in Brandenburg, Germany.

Nguyen’s mom first introduced him to dragon boat racing, slowly carving the pathway to the person he is today.

“My mom made me practice every week on Saturdays because I wasn’t athletic,” Nguyen said. “I had a weak stroke, which was probably because of my bad form. My endurance was also trash so it caused me to cramp a lot when practicing.”

What started as a forced weekend activity quickly turned into a passion that would take him across the globe.

“I really got into this sport after my first race, but I think it’s also because I won,” Nguyen said. “That one race really motivated me to keep on racing so I found local competitions to compete at. To me now, dragon boat means teamwork, athleticism, coordination and really trying to win. It’s also about discipline and competitiveness, as you’re constantly working to improve yourself and contribute to your team.”

Nguyen’s competitive journey began under Jackson Lau, his personal coach, who had started coaching him just a few years ago.

“I started coaching Lucas back in 2022,” Lau said. “At the time, he was actually shorter than me — but within a year, he had grown much taller. It’s been amazing to witness not just his physical growth, but also his development as an athlete.”

Lau was an assistant coach for Team USA’s 16U (Under-16) National Team, and had been following Nguyen’s development closely. After recognizing his potential, Lau eventually reached out to him to try out for the national team trials, which determined the official team roster.

In order to prepare Nguyen for the USA trials, Lau focused on solo training with Nguyen.

“To prepare Lucas, I had him train in an OC2 ,a two-person outrigger canoe, to get comfortable paddling in a small boat,” Lau said. “Once he was confident, I transitioned him to an OC1 ,a one-man outrigger canoe, to train solo since Team USA uses OC1s for time trials.”

During the trials, Nguyen felt a “rush of nerves” overtake him, but he forced himself to push through.

“At the tryouts, I was terrified to do the timed trials,” Nguyen said. “You have to paddle as fast as you can across a set distance, and they measure your time against everyone else. I was really surprised when I [made the roster] because I didn’t think I would make the team. I was very proud of myself.”

Nguyen’s mother, Wayna Lim, reflected on how surreal the achievement felt.

“[I felt] a little disbelief because I had never thought of such an opportunity,” Lim said. “I started dragon boat [racing] after COVID since I wanted us to be more physically active. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine that he would be paddling with Team USA. I felt so blessed with this outcome.”

Nathan Salazar, the head coach of Team USA’s 16U team, reflected on Nguyen’s growth during that period.

“I saw Lucas’s growth in the sport in a span of four to five months,” Salazar said. “Initially, I met him during the first tryouts in March. He was a shy kid who was new to the top level of racing. Then, through our monthly meetings and eventual final tryouts held in June, Lucas developed the paddling physique and maturity. By the time we were in Germany, I knew he was ready to take the lead.”

Preparing for Worlds meant that Nguyen had to step up his preparation. He ramped up his training to ensure his body was ready for the rigor of competing on the world stage. He also worked on his nutrition and sleep schedule to handle the intensity of competition.

“I paddled a lot,” Nguyen said. “I went to the gym more, used rowing machines, ran a lot more, ate better and watched old videos to correct my form.”

Lim described the dedication and discipline Nguyen developed through his training.

“I was very proud — Lucas followed his workout regimen and started eating healthy,” she said. “Training with paddlers at an international level definitely impacted his personality, giving him confidence, perseverance and leadership.”

On top of getting ready physically, Nguyen had to overcome one major challenge — jet lag.

“Since I knew the time difference would mess me up, I slept at weird times to try to compensate for the 7-hour difference,” Nguyen said. “I was jet lagged on the first day, but I think I recovered pretty fast.”

Nguyen’s teammates came from all over the country, so the team had limited opportunities to practice as a group before the competition.

“It was hard to get everyone together,” Nguyen said. “We only had two camps where we ran race simulations, drills and conditioning.”

The training camps not only had the team go through rigorous training, but they also built connections off the water.

“The camps were not just about technique but also team building,” Nguyen said. “We had a talent show at a group dinner. We were just really getting to know our teammates and coaches, having everyone be friendly with each other before Germany.”

Once the team arrived in Germany, Nguyen was entrusted with the role of team captain.

“Lucas blended well with his teammates from all across the country,” Salazar said. “I observed leadership from Lucas as I saw him talk to his teammates. Because of that, I made Lucas a captain of one of the teams when we were in Germany. As a captain, he was expected to lead, coordinate and communicate. I never had a problem with Lucas in those areas. He came prepared and ready.”

When race day arrived, the flags of 18 countries rose up into the air with the competitors ready to go.

“The atmosphere was very busy and crowded,” Nguyen said. “There was a lot of subtle competitiveness in the air. It was a little tense, but we just kept it to ourselves until the results day.”

As the races began and boats glided through the water, Nguyen felt a surge of “adrenaline and national pride.” Despite the excitement, the nerves couldn’t help but creep in.

“I was incredibly nervous, and I just let my body take over,” Nguyen said. “I used what I learned from the USA camps and followed what the coaches said. After that first race, I felt pretty confident.”

Nguyen’s confidence carried him throughout the rest of the races. Still, not everything went according to plan.

“The hardest moment in our competition was watching other boats pass us along during the race,” Nguyen said. “There was really no recovering from it, but we just had to sit with it and accept our loss.”

Despite these feelings of giving up, Nguyen recalls one particular race where he had to prioritize determination over quitting.

“There was one race when the Ukrainians passed us up,” Nguyen said. “But then we tried very hard to recover, and it ended up being a 0.4 second difference.“

Jensen Tsao, Nguyen’s teammate from Denver, Colorado, saw how his leadership shined throughout this moment.

“During our time on the small boat, the Ukrainian team had us in a chokehold,” Tsao said. “While we never beat them, Lucas’s leadership helped us stay focused and didn’t let us slip from our spot in second place.”

The team’s perseverance paid off. The Team USA 16U Division ended up placing second in three races, third in three races and second place overall.

“[Crossing the finish line] felt cathartic,” Nguyen said. “It was one more task completed, and I had one less thing to worry about, so I had more things to look ahead to.”

Lim remembers the mix of excitement and pressure her son experienced.

“He was excited to make friends from all over the country, but it was also bittersweet because of the competitiveness and high pressure,” she said. “The whole journey was not cheap. I worked a lot of overtime and saved up money to buy him an OC1 and a pERG [a modified rowing machine that replicates dragon boat strokes]. There was airfare and overnight stays, but I was always proud of Lucas’s achievements, whether big or small. Even if he hadn’t made the team, I would still be proud because he gave it his best.”

This experience was very impactful for Nguyen, as he has further developed a sense of respect for the individuals that he competed with.

“I learned to listen, to take criticism and to respect people my age who also paddled at that level,” Nguyen said.

Though unsure if he’ll continue in college due to a busy schedule, Nguyen isn’t done paddling yet. His next goal is to make the USA team again in two years as a 17-year-old when he’ll be eligible for the 18U division.

“[Dragon boat racing] is a great sport,” Nguyen said. “It’s not that well known compared to other sports because of how it’s overshadowed by other boat sports like canoes, kayaks and rowing, but it’s a great team sport. Trust me, you’ll really like it.”