Paddle Tales

‘TALK STORY’ WITH

CHRISTINE K

For the first Paddle Tales episode, Tommy Leonardi talks Dragon Boat.

Tommy Leonardi is well known in the world of Dragon Boat paddling, as a paddler, a board member, a coach, and race official. In this episode, Tommy talks all things Dragon Boating and shares insight into what paddling means to him.

Join us as we discuss the training, the triumph and teamwork, and the exhiliarating experiences that define this community.

Welcome to Paddle Tales, a podcast designed to give you a glimpse into the minds of the most expert paddlers around. In each episode, we feature a different guest who shares their paddling wisdom, journey, and insights into how their minds get their paddles to start moving. We aim to provide you with new ideas and inspirations on how you can make the most out of your time on the water. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! Where else would you rather be?

EPISODES

Episode 1 . Design

Coach Tommy Leonardi

What’s going on in this episode? Curious listeners want to know why everyone loves ‘Chachi,’ aka Tommy Leonardi. Take a listen and see if you love Chachi as much as we do!!

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YOUR HOST

Christine K

Christine K is a paddler, coach, canoeist, kayaker, mentor, and dreamer. Her favorite sport is “anything that involves water.” She has paddled on many dragon boat teams and has applied her paddle to OC races on the East Coast. She is a Coach for Team Freedom from Bucks County Dragon Boat, for both women’s and mixed teams.

Christine’s love of the water was culturally imprinted on her genes. Her mom was Hawaiian-born, and her father was known for his swimming and diving skills. They met when her dad was stationed in Hawaii for the US Coast Guard. Together, they launched four kids into any water activity they could, including surfing, diving, fishing, and swimming. One of Christine’s earliest memories is of she and her Hawaiian cousins paddling an old refrigerator door across a pond.

When Christine started coaching, she had trouble finding info for dragon boat coaches or new paddlers. This inspired her to learn as much as she could about paddle sports and share this with her team. She attended dragon boat camps, outrigger races, and innovative paddling programs all over the US. This was the groundwork for Paddle Tales.

In each episode, Christine will chat with guests who can share their knowledge of paddling. Hopefully, you’ll learn something new, and gain a different view for your own ‘on the water’ time. Our guests will share their stories and you’ll learn what it is that makes them paddle. Sit ready, and stay tuned.