File photo of VIPERS in Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race in 2018.
VIPERS, a team composed of foreigners working in Suzhou, looks forward to a better result in the annual Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race to be held on June 7.
The team’s members, with an average age of 38, are from seven countries – Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and India. This year marks the 5th time of VIPERS in the race since its establishment in 2015. The team was the group winner last year and ranked seventh in the final.
Scott from Britain came to China in 2002 and acts as captain of VIPERS. He said the team has regular training three times a week starting from February and increases the training to four times a week ahead of the race.
In the past five years, VIPERS has participated in numerous dragon boat races held in Suzhou and neighbor cities, with their favorite one in Jinji Lake for the warm atmosphere.
Scott said that everyone enjoys the outdoor sports and the exciting atmosphere in the race. More importantly, during years of competition, members are really united and compete as a team.
The number of foreigners in Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race this year will rise to 238 as a team representing Jiangsu’s sister-cities in the world and another team composed of foreigners across the province will also join. Those expats are from over 20 countries and regions including Panama, Canada, Australia and Italy.
