Please check back regularly as we update our speaker list.

Kamini Jain

Kamini and her False Creek Racing Canoe Club High Performance Dragon Boat Program have grown hand-in-hand over the last five years.   Under her guidance, this team has journeyed from local festival winners, to Western Champions, to World Club Crew Champions, to 2009 500m World Champions. “As a team learns what you teach them, you, as coach, have to find ways to bring them up a level and, with this team, it has meant moving into new territory and developing tactics to create that type of evolution. Every so often I find a new focus or analogy or way of thinking about the stroke, see the effect in my paddlers, and this is what keeps me coaching” she says. This coaching evolution largely stems from a long competitive history in paddle sports including competing in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics in sprint kayak, stroking the 2008 World Champion and World record holding Canadian Masters Sprint 1000m OC-6 crew, many National titles in distance OC-6, OC-1 and surfski and stroking the FCRCC Mixed Dragon Boat Team for the last four years. “Knowing what a successfully running boat needs to feel like to the athlete definitely gives me an irreplaceable inside track to success”, she says. Kamini is owner and operator of Right Angle Performance, a paddle sport coaching company and co-presenter of this conference.

Jackie Webber

Jackie is a co-founder and principal partner of Water's Edge Sport Performance Inc. an international paddle sport company. From the early years as a junior development olympic kayak/canoe coach, to the recent years of working with Water's Edge in Vancouver. Jackie has spent the past 25 years enhancing the growth and development of paddle sports, principally Dragon Boats, Outrigger Canoes and Kayaks.
She is acknowledged as an expert in the design and implementation of high performance paddle sport coaching and team effectiveness programs. Jackie has assembled a group of the best paddlers, coaches and event management personnel in the world to represent the Water’s Edge Team. Competitive Highlights include:
  • Winning the Open Women’s gold medal at the Solo Outrigger World Sprint Championship in Western Samoa, and a 5-time gold medal winner at the World Dragon Boat Championships (1987-1998).
  • Many podium finishes for her athletes (both team and individual) over the past 15 years in local, national and international water’s in Dragon Boat and Outrigger canoe.
Jackie offers practical wisdom and has guided thousands of people to break free of limits, to step into a boat - develop as a paddler - and then step onto the podium!

Andrea Dillon

Andrea DillonAndrea has been involved with paddling, coaching and instructing for 38 years. With the desire to create innovative, effective and results oriented programs and teaching models for paddlers and coaches of all levels, Andrea and Jackie Webber began Water’s Edge Sport Performance Inc. Drawing from years of paddling and coaching various canoes and kayaks Andrea continues to expand her horizons within the paddle sport coaching arena.




Competitive Highlights include:
  • National Dragonboat Women's Coach for 5 World Dragonboat Championships with podium finishes in each Worlds
  • National Dragonboat Women's and Mixed team paddler for 20 years Open and
  • Master's with podium finishes at all events
  • National Canadian Outrigger Sprint team member for four World Sprint
  • Championships with multiple podium finishes
  • Currently Assistant Coach with FCRCC High Performance Program

Greg Lamb

Greg has been paddling since 1988 and has been involved with many aspects of the sport of Dragon Boating. Greg has raced in and coached dragon boat teams in local, national and international waters. He has been instrumental in creating a higher standard of excellence within the dragon boat event management community. Greg currently is the Race Director for both the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival and the Kelowna Dragon Boat Festival. Greg has held positions on the Dragon Boat Canada Board as both a Western Representative and a Technical Committee Director. Greg went to Prague in August 2009 for the IDBF World Championships where he became a IDBF International Race Official Grade 1. Greg is currently the Course Conductor for Dragon Boat Canada’s officials course.

Dan Hebert

For 15 years, Dan has been an avid dragon boater on teams ranging from novice and recreational to international competitors. He’s been dedicated to coaching for a decade and, for the last six years, has been coaching Eye of the Dragon, the world’s first dragon boat team with a mix of blind and sighted paddlers. Dan has been wildly successful with this team, reflecting his passion for innovation in coaching. Experienced as a drummer, steers, paddler and coach, and a vibrant speaker, Dan is guaranteed to deliver valuable messages in an entertaining way.

Tim LeBas

Tim is a Certified Exercise Physiologist who has worked extensively with paddlers.  He holds a degree in Human Kinetics and has a passion for educating people on the latest research in his field, while helping them achieve their best performance. He is committed to delivering detailed assessments and customized exercise programs based on proven scientific research - not gimmicks or fads. “All of us tend to get caught up in the latest and greatest pieces of equipment, yet those who succeed do so with work ethic, determination, and an everlasting respect for the fundamentals of strength training” he says.  Tim presents his work at national and international conferences and consults with many athletes from a recreational level to Olympians.  His company is called Ignite Fitness.