True Grit 24U-PS
True Grit est l’équipe compétitive de 22Dragons s’adressant aux athlètes âgés de 24 ans ou moins. L’équipe a été fondée en 2012 par Michael Wu, Wendi Zhou et Andy Shih. Cette équipe est composée majoritairement de pagayeurs et de pagayeuses des équipes universitaires et collégiales de 22Dragons: Descendants of the dragon, du Collège Marianopolis; Dragon Boat Z, de l’Université McGill; le club sportif de bateau-dragon de l’Université de Montréal; et le club de bateau-dragon de l’Université Concordia.
About its creation
Summer 2009
Canadian university racing is dominated by the Greater Toronto Area teams. The U23 National Team will only include 2 from Quebec. Michael Wu is convinced that whatever success has happened in Toronto can be replicated in Montreal. He starts planting the seeds in the paddlers he coaches that Montreal student racing can achieve the same heights.
Fall 2011
McGill University’s Dragon Boat Z has hit a new peak in performance since its inception in 2009. Many paddlers are graduating, but have enjoyed their growth and want to keep challenging themselves.
At the same time, an opportunity was freed up to participate at CCWC 2012. We put our name in for the lottery, and the rest is history. Wendi Zhou, Andy Shih, Chris Wong and Michael Wu came together to form a team that would provide the highest caliber of racing to the young adult demographic, and True Grit was born.
Since then, True Grit will participate in 3 CCWC and medal every time. 31 paddlers will join the 24U National team. The entire club has benefited from the coaching they give back to their community.
2024 Season
True Grit competed at the CanAm Club Crew Championships in Welland, Ontario and at the Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna, Italy.
In Welland, True Grit won Gold in the Mixed Category and Silver in both the Open and Women’s Categories.
In Ravenna, True Grit won 1 Gold and 4 Silvers
Accomplissements
- 2023 Champions canadiens 24U
- 2017 Champions canadiens 24U
- 2012 Champions canadiens 23U
School Teams
22Dragons is home to many of Montreal’s best student teams! These teams are affiliated with a post-secondary institution and are completely self-managed.
- Descendents of the Dragon – Marianopolis College
- Dragon Boat Z – McGill University
- Concordia Dragon Boat Club – Concordia University
- Club de bateau-dragon de l’Université de Montréal – Université de Montréal
True Grit’s Team History
2024 - CanAm & CCWC Ravenna
In 2024, True Grit competed at the CanAm Club Crew Championships in Welland, Ontario and at the Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna, Italy. In Welland, their standard mixed boat earned the gold medal, their women’s boat earned the silver medal, and the open boat earned the silver medal, giving them a total ranking of second behind NDRC. In Ravenna, their small mixed boat were second on all three distances. Their small women’s boat were 2nd on the 200 m, 1st on the 500 m and were disqualified on the 2000 m. The small open boat ranked fourth in all distances.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Laurie-Anne Dancause
- Chris Wong
Captains:
- Eugene Sweetoo
- Elizabeth Hua
- Hugo Gélinas
- Isla Warner
2023 - National Division Champions
In 2023, True Grit competed at the Canadian National Championships in Welland. Their standard mixed boat received the gold medal, their women received the gold medal, and their open received the silver medal. True Grit ranked first place overall and earned the most competitive to date 24U-PS division championship banner.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Laurie-Anne Dancause
- Chris Wong
Captains:
- Eugene Sweetoo
- Elizabeth Hua
- Anh Vu Pham
- Jenny He
2022 - Rebirth at Nationals Montreal
2022 marked the year the Canadian National Championships would resume after the Covid-19 pandemic. Held in Montréal, Nationals were a revelation of the potential of the team that had rebuilt post-covid. Going in to the championships with a standard mixed boat only and unsure of what to expect from the rest of Canada, the team clinched the bronze medal.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Laurie-Anne Dancause
Captains:
- Bernadette Ng
- Eugene Sweetoo
- Elizabeth Hua
- Julien Lemay
2021 - Post-Pandemic
2021 was the year that practices would resume for weeks at a time, between covid-19 contagion waves. Only outdoor practices were held when possible with half boat capacity, accounting for social distancing. Coming out of covid, the team had a handful of veteran paddlers and kicked off a new wave of recruitment. This is the year the True Grit fit test with a minimum standard was established.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Laurie-Anne Dancause
Captains:
- Bernadette Ng
- Eugene Sweetoo
- Elizabeth Hua
- Julien Lemay
2020 - Covid-19
As the team undergoes huge paddler turnover due to overaging and management change, the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop on all dragon boat activities. The team continues to work out together through Zoom workouts and fitness challenges.
- Bernadette Ng
- Andrew Anderson
2019 - Nationals Regina
True Grit goes to Nationals in Regina where the mixed boat finished in fourth.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Laurie-Anne Dancause
2018
True Grit returns to CCWC in Szeged, Hungary. Open and Women take home medals.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Laurie-Anne Dancause
Captains:
2017 - National Division Champions
At the 2017 qualifying year Nationals, True Grit dominated, finishing in third in the open division and first in the mixed and the women division. True Grit finished in first overall, taking home the title of National Division Champions. In the coming years, this is the year that is looked back to as the peak.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Laurie-Anne Dancause
2016 - Return to Nationals
Laurie-Anne Dancause takes over as women’s boat coach. The women dominated the community division at the Lachine Knockout and decide that it’s time to graduate to the sport division. For the first time in three years, True Grit returns to Nationals where they podium in all three divisions, but never finish first.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Laurie-Anne Dancause
2015 - Creation of the Women's Boat
The year following the creation of the open boat, the women’s boat is created. With the creation of the women’s boat comes a new coach, Katherine Messina. The open boat finished second overall at the Quebec Cup with the “naked race”. The women finish 12th overall in the community division at the Quebec Cup.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
- Katherine Messina
2014 - Creation of the Open Boat
In 2014, the team has grown enough that a standard open boat was created and raced. The mixed boat finished first in the E final at the Montreal Challenge. The Open boat finished third overall at the Quebec Cup.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
2013
True Grit heads to Victoria, BC for their second Nationals where the mixed boat finished last (5th) and a makeshift open boat composed of men and women finished last (3rd).
Coaches:
- Michael Wu
2012 - True Grit is Born
An opportunity was freed up to participate at CCWC 2012. We put our name in for the lottery, and True Grit was born. Wendi Zhou, Andy Shih, Chris Wong and Michael Wu came together to form a team that would provide the highest caliber of racing to the young adult demographic, and True Grit was born. In its beginnings, True Grit was composed of only a mixed team. They will race at CCWC Hong Kong where they earned the bronze medal in the 2000 m, finished fourth on the 500 m, and fourth on the 200 m. They also sent a small boat open which finished fourth in the 500 m and earned the bronze medal in the 200 m.
They also race at their first national on home turf, earning the title of Division Champions.
Coaches:
- Michael Wu