Our Male Member Spotlight for July is: 

Doug Chow!

Name: Doug Chow
Age: (optional) 32
Hometown: Houston, TX
Houston Heat Member since: 2008
How did you hear about Houston Heat? Jeff Gee recruited me for almost a year. I'm glad he kept on me to because this is a great sport.
What do you do when you're not dragon boating? (i.e., hobbies, sports, cross-training, leisure, work, etc) I like to work out a lot. I run at Memorial Park or Rice U, play tennis, and play in softball and kickball leagues. I also enjoy eating at different restaurants and like to just hang out at a bar with my friends.
When and how did you start dragon boating? I started dragon boating when I heard the team might not have enough paddlers for the Austin Festival this year. I am a very competitive person and told Jeff that even with only a month left, I wanted to do this competitively and wanted to try to go to Austin with the team. The team was great because they opened there arms to a newcomer to join them for a race.
What do you like best about dragon boating? I like the workouts, the competitiveness, and the comraderie of the team. Everyone is always encouraging and supportive.
Favorite dragon boat experience so far: My favorite experience was at the Austin Festival. During the first race the team was a little excited and filled with a lot of emotion and adrenaline which might have caused us to perform under par. But we pulled it together and I saw how the team was able to make the correct adjustments and come together to become faster for each race there after.
The best thing about being a member of Houston Heat: This is a team sport and Houston Heat is one of the best at making you feel like you are a part of the team. It's also a good feeling just to be able to meet new people and make new friends.
Top tip you'd give new paddlers: Your legs is your base. Once you learn to use your legs in dragon boating, it's easier to work on more specifics on the stroke with your back, twist, reach and recover.
Anything else you'd like to share? Dragon boating is a sport of all ages. I can see myself doing this for a long time and I get a great workout while just hanging out with my friends.