00:00 Differently abled but very enabled to dominate the World Dragon Boat Race.
00:04 They're with persons with disabilities from Cebu, two-time champs and set to defend their
00:09 title against 80 competing countries.
00:11 Jesse Atienza from PTB Cebu tells us more.
00:15 [Music]
00:17 [Music]
00:19 [Music]
00:21 [Music]
00:23 Agility, speed and coordination.
00:26 These are the qualities of the proud members of the Philippine Paradragon Elite Team who
00:31 will be competing in the 16th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Thailand this
00:38 August.
00:39 They are not like your ordinary athletes.
00:42 Most of them are persons with disabilities or PWDs.
00:46 They can't walk straight, can't speak right and can't listen properly.
00:50 Yet in the field of dragon boat racing, they dominate.
00:53 For two years straight, they have been the champions.
00:56 The tough challenge now is to defend their title.
00:59 Ever since during the pandemic, we never really had an off-season.
01:07 Dragon boat has been a lifestyle to our athletes and we keep training.
01:13 We've been preparing for this race since January.
01:16 The cycling conditioning program, we made sure it's really scientific because we're
01:21 dealing with adaptive athletes.
01:23 The team admitted they had to look for sponsorships and get money out of their own pockets just
01:28 to fund 50 adaptive athletes.
01:32 Eight years ago, we donated, Cebu City donated two dragon boats.
01:38 Since then, they have nurtured themselves into what they are now.
01:42 A world-class athletes.
01:46 That's something that not just Cebu will be proud of but the entire nation.
01:51 In their road towards success, it's not just about the honor but with their physical challenges,
01:56 they are accepted and are bound together in achieving their dreams.
02:00 From PTV Cebu, Jesse Atienza for The Nation.
02:03 (upbeat music)
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