Local Dragon Boat teen heading to Germany to represent Canada

Jane Mouland (right) and her father Jeff. Jane has loved dragon boat as a physical and social activity from a young age. She will be part of the U18 team representing Canada at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championship in Germany this July. (Ron Yuzark photo)

Emily Stewart, Echo Correspondent

Jane Mouland started her dragon boat journey with the Woodstock Juniors at just 11 years old and will soon compete in an international tournament representing Canada.

Mouland will be part of Canada’s U18 team for the International Dragon Boat World Federation (IDBWF) championship in Germany this July. Mouland received the invitation to join the Canadian team in April and is thrilled to be on board.

“I never thought going into dragon boat at 11 that I would be on Team Canada,” Mouland said. “It's a pretty exciting feeling to represent your country in the sport, I'd say. Especially across the world."

The 17-year-old began her training for Team Canada in 2022. The same year, she endured a life-changing accident where she lost three fingers on her dominant hand.

"When it happened, it was, as you can guess, pretty devastating. It was hard to dig myself out of that hole, but, of course, friends and family supported and motivated me.”

After several surgeries and another amputation, Mouland returned to training in the fall of 2024 by joining a gym to prepare for Team Canada tryouts. The support of her loved ones still motivates her today, and her coach will also remind her to think of her family and friends backing her up.

"It keeps me going. It's something to push through, through every little wrong that I still can do it. And I'm on Team Canada, so clearly, I can."

To prepare for the world championship, she trains three times a week and works out at the gym whenever she can fit it into her schedule, focusing on weight training and cardio. Mouland enjoys the physical and social aspects of dragon boat racing.

“It's a really good way to work out. I find it's fun. You're out on the water in nature all the time,” she explained. “I like that part, and I especially like doing that with my friends. It's a good community and all the teams that I'm on, it's good to speak with them and spend that time with them, even if it's a hard day."

Mouland and the rest of Team Canada will compete in the World tournament in Germany from July 16 to 20. Dragon Boat racing does not receive any government funding, so travel expenses must be covered by families. Mouland is saving money from her part-time job, running a bottle drive, and has a GoFundMe link for donations to cover the costs of travel, like hotels, meals, and flights. |

“I cannot be more grateful. Going into this, I didn't know we were going to start a GoFundMe, let alone all of this,” Mouland said. “It feels really good to have so many people support me, especially with a cost being so big. Having that cut down a little bit with the people who support me is nice, and thank you, everyone."

She will also be with the Optimist Club of Oxford County during Wienerfest at the Burford Fairgrounds on June 21 and 22 collecting donations to help with the cost of accommodations.

To donate to Mouland’s GoFundMe, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/u8kfru-Jane-on-team-canada-u18-world-championship.