Meet Our Team!
Annette Cameron - Coach, Safety & Finances
Annette’s dragon boat experience began in 2015, when she and her golf partner joined the Wave Runners.
Soon after, Annette and her fellow teammates — Nancy, Betty, Jenn and Jody — decided to start a masters’ team of like-minded and bodied paddlers (aka old people) and the Calgary Flying Dragons Masters team was born.
Annette has coached sports for most of her life, including gymnastics, soccer, and badminton, so the transition to coaching dragon boat was a natural fit. Annette holds many certifications under the NCCP in sport education, ethics and technical athlete development. Annette is certified as a Level One Dragon Boat coach through Dragon Boat Canada and has completed the Level Two in class portion of the course certification and will complete this year with the on-water portion of the course. Annette also holds a certificate in drumming and a trained certificate in steering. She also holds the NCCP Safe Sport designation, Red Cross AED and First Aid and marine operators license.
Annette is learning and developing her coaching skills, continuing her paddling education with the Dragon Boat Canada (DBC) officials’ course. She has been fortunate to have paddled with many wonderful teams: Wave Runners/Wooden Eye, Coulee Classics Dragons, Calgary Flying Dragons, Pickering Dragon Boat Club, and most recently with the Prairie High Performance Team.
Annette has been privileged to work under and be mentored by fantastic coaches like Darwin Li (PHP), Dr. Lee Miller (PHP), Scott Murray (PDBC and DBC), Tom Arnold (VIP Paddling), Karen Johnson and Layton Sargent. Annette is currently in FSP coaching program with coach Darwin Li.
Annette is also participating in her certification for personal training in 2026.
Annette enjoys many activities including golf, skiing, kayak/OC, travelling and too many crafts to list. She paddled on the PHP team in the Canadian Nationals in Montreal this past August with hopes of that team winning a berth to go to Worlds.
What started as an idea to create a master level team has now blossomed into the Calgary Dragons Club. Annette is excited to be at the helm of the four teams – the Fire Dragons, Flying Dragons, Calgary Dragon Ladies, and the Calgary Warrier Dragons. The future is bright for the Calgary Dragons Club as the training expands to dryland and erg off water training and the expansion of outdoor training to include outrigger training.
To future successes on and off the water! PADDLES UP!
Laurie Wallace - Assistant Coach
As a life-long competitive swimmer dragon boating is a perfect sport for Laurie. Along with the sports challenge, Laurie enjoys the fun and supportive community and the opportunity to meet new people. Laurie’s passion for the sport has bloomed and she is an integral member of the Calgary Dragons competitive teams – the mixed Flying Dragons and ladies Calgary Warrier Dragons.
Laurie loves to learn and her position as assistant coach gives her opportunities not only to share her excellence and knowledge, but to learn from her coaching experience.
Lori Larson (Mixed) - Steer and Safety
Lori’s dragon boat journey began in 2010, igniting a passion that has spanned over 15 years of dedicated paddling and leadership. She has competed and trained with prominent Calgary teams, including CFI-cans, Spartans, Calgary Flying Dragons Mixed, and Calgary Fire Dragons.
In 2023, she achieved Steerperson certification through the Calgary Dragon Boat Society (CDBS) and the Dragon Boat Society of Southern Alberta (DASA). Building on this foundation, Lori earned full Dragon Boat Canada (DBC) Steering Accreditation in Victoria in 2025.
That same year, she completed Level 1 and Level 2 DBC Coaching Accreditations through Right Angle Paddling in Vancouver, British Columbia, under the guidance of former Olympian and renowned coach Kamini Jain.
Also in 2025, Lori was nominated and elected to the CDBS Board of Directors, where she contributes governance oversight, strategic planning, fiduciary responsibility, and active support for community sports programs, recreational events, volunteer initiatives, and the annual Calgary Dragon Boat Festival planning committees.
In January 2026, she was appointed by DBC Education Committee Chair Lauria McDougall as an accredited Steersperson Assessor, enabling her to evaluate steerspersons’ on-water proficiency for DBC certification as required.
Today, Lori continues to steer for her home teams under the leadership of Annette Cameron with the Calgary Flying Dragons Mixed and Calgary Fire Dragons, as well as for Dragnum under coaches Shane and Renata Martin.
Barry Walters (Women's) - Steer and Safety
With 40 years of experience as a commercial pilot and a wonderful sense of humour, Barry brings an ideal temperament to steering a dragon boat. His confidence, precision, and unflappable composure are highly valued by his teammates on the Calgary Dragons. Barry has been paddling for four years and steering for three, quickly establishing himself as a steady hand on the water. Beyond dragon boating, he enjoys the outdoors and golf.
Jenn Zimmer - Festivals - Registration, Waivers, Accommodation
For the past 10 years, Jen Zimmer has been chasing the thrill of Dragon Boat racing—mostly so she can yell “paddle harder!” at her teammates without consequences. She thrives on the camaraderie, finding joy in the unbreakable bonds formed with her teammates as they paddle in unison toward a common goal. For Jen, Dragon
Boat racing is more than just a competition—it’s an exhilarating experience that combines physical endurance with the serenity of being on the water. Whether it’s the adrenaline of race day or the post-paddle snacks, Jen knows there’s no better sport for building strength, friendships, and an impressive collection of soaked workout gear.
Betty Mackin - Social Coordinator & Masters Ambassador
Betty is a founding member of the Calgary Dragons who, with Annette, Nancy, and Jenn, decided to start a “Masters” dragon boat program in Calgary.
Betty has been paddling for a long time – starting first as a volunteer, then joining a corporate team and moving up from there. She has paddled on both ladies and mixed teams, each of them bringing opportunities unique and exciting.
Betty had the good fortune to be at the start line for 200’s, 500’s, 1000’s, 2000’s and a 25Km race in Cork Ireland (From the Sea to the City). She loves local festivals, and was thrilled to take part in the World Masters Games in Auckland, and the Pan Pacific Masters Game on the Gold Coast of Australia.
Betty never tires of being on a Dragon Boat and paddling with friends who can’t wait to hear that familiar call of “PADDLES UP!”
Betty values fun, sportsmanship, and continual improvement as a paddler, and the Calgary Dragons, an eclectic bunch who supports each other on and off the water, perfectly share her values.
Nancy Morton - Communications, New Member Onboarding & Teamwear
With over 15 years of experience in dragon boating, Nancy developed not just a love for the sport, but a deep appreciation for teamwork and camaraderie. She finds gliding across the water, paddles in sync, alongside her fellow paddlers, exhilarating. Dragon boating with the Calgary Dragons encompasses dedication, discipline, and plenty of fun – perfectly meeting Nancy’s needs.
Nancy thrives on details, making her administrative role with the Calgary Dragons a perfect fit.
Outside of dragon boating, Nancy is an avid cyclist, master’s swimmer, scuba diver and kayaker. After retiring, she joined seniors groups for cross-country skiing and hiking, and still dabbles in downhill skiing.
Family is a cornerstone of Nancy’s life. She’s married to Neil, with 3 adult children and 3 wonderful grandkids who keep her on her toes and fill her heart with joy.
Curiosity fuels Nancy’s every endeavor, pushing her to try new things, travel all over the world, and meet new people. She believes that life is one big adventure waiting to be embraced. She’s thrilled to continue exploring new challenges and experiences – and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Allan Walt - Equipment Manager
Allan started as a dedicated dragon boat “groupie”, faithfully following his wife from festival to festival for three years. With her enthusiastic encouragement—and a full set of dragon boat gear she bought for him—he finally decided to jump in and give paddling a try.
After his first race in Lethbridge in 2022, Allan was instantly hooked on the sport. He has since become an integral member of the Calgary Flying Dragons and Fire Dragons, where his teammates greatly appreciate his tremendous strength, calm composure under pressure, and sense of humour.
Allan is a natural fit as equipment manager for the Calgary Dragons. Drawing on decades of experience in highly technical and maintenance-focused roles, he has enthusiastically taken on projects like building pool-side practice benches for the teams, installing strain gauges on paddles to measure performance data, and setting up a cloud drive that automatically uploads real-time festival photos. Allan feels incredibly lucky to have found such an amazing, welcoming group of people in the Calgary Dragons community.
Linda Sinclair - Volunteer Coordinator
Linda started Dragon Boating with some friends in August of 2018, coming out to the free trial days with Calgary Flying Dragons. After her first couple of sessions she was hooked, and has been paddling ever since, competing in Lethbridge, Calgary and Penticton Festivals.
Family is a big part of Linda’s life, married to Greg (38 yrs) with two married daughters and two granddaughters.
Outside of paddling Linda loves to golf, bike ride, and play field hockey and Pickleball. She’s always up to try something new or take on a new adventure.
Being a part of the Calgary Dragons team has been rewarding, supportive, encouraging for Linda, whether in the boat, on dryland, or a social event. She continues to look forward to many years of great dragon boat seasons.
