Kae's Team USA Trip to IDBF World Championships

Hello fellow family, friend, or supporter!

My name is Kaelynn Tan and I am extremely excited to announce that I have been selected to represent Team USA at the 16th IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Pattaya-Rayong, Thailand!! I will be paddling under the U24 division (24 year olds and under) and am so grateful to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete on a world stage.

For those who don't know, I first started paddling on my high school dragon boat team, Mountain View Dragon Boat in 2017. I quickly fell in love with everything about the sport, its community, and culture. Ever since then, dragon boat has become one of my biggest passions. I initially started as a recreational paddler but when I joined my current home team, San Francisco Dragon Warriors, back in 2019, it ignited a fire in me to strive for a whole new level of competitiveness. From training 5 days a week to freezing my toes off during cold winter practices, I would have never imagined dedicating myself so much to this sport. I am also currently the coach for my college team, Davis Racing Dragons, where I hope to share my love of dragon boat with others.

As a student, the costs of tuition and housing can really add up so I am hoping to help ease any financial burden this trip will ensue. For this reason, I am kindly requesting for any donations (big or small!) to help fund my journey to Thailand. All funds will go towards traveling expenses (flight tickets, lodging, food etc.) associated with the trip to Thailand and an upcoming U24 Summer Camp in SoCal.

I’ve had so many amazing memories, relationships, and experiences from paddling, so I can't wait to experience more this upcoming summer. I hope you will join me in achieving one of my lifelong dreams as your support would mean the world to me. Thank you so much!