Liane Hickling 
Chairperson

How long have you been dragon boating?

3 years.

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How long have you been a member of Bradford Barracudas?

​3 years - Bradford Barracudas is where I started my dragon boating journey.

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How did you get into dragon boating?

I tried it whilst travelling a few years back & quickly became addicted to the sport. My kayaking friend ‘Esther’ who had moved to Sydney invited me to join the pacific dragons outrigger/Dragon boat team for training. I was buzzing after the training session. I then got in contact with a few Māori teams whilst in New Zealand & joined the Wellington Dragon boat team for training. When I returned home I got in touch with Bradford Barracudas straight away and signed up.  

 

​What is your favourite seat in the boat?

2nd bench, left side

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What is your personal paddling highlight?

1. Paddling at the Nationals with a full Barracudas team in the boat made me so proud. Knowing at the end of the race that everyone had given their all. We didn’t win medals but the personal wins & team gains meant so much - bring on next year. 

2. Representing GB at the IDBF world championships in Germany 2025. Finishing just behind China in the mixed 500m heat to take 2nd place and make the final was something I’ll never forget. I learnt a lot about how I’m capable of pushing myself & I continue to learn. 

3. Being awarded ‘Paddlers Paddler’ by my Barracudas teammates for making a difference, encouraging & welcoming other paddlers - touched my heart 

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What are your ambitions for the club this year?

As chair my aim is to make sure all members including those on the committee are valued, have a voice and are involved in helping our club grow.

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What do you love about paddling?

Being part of a team. Inspiring and encouraging others to achieve. Pushing myself outside my comfort zone to be my best for my teammates. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done or not done when you’re in the boat, ego’s aren’t going to win - you have to paddle in sync & time with & for every member of the team. And I honestly love that. I love that when you’ve had a bad day a smile, a small touch for your bench buddy and a bit of extra grunt in training can make it all feel better. 

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What one piece of advice would you give to new paddlers?

We’re all learning - always & we all splash sometimes. Ask if you don’t understand, somebody else probably doesn’t too. 

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What BDA qualification do you have or working towards?

Working towards basic helm & coaching awards​​​​