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    Airman finds a family in Federal Way, Wash., canoeing club

    Airman finds a family in Federal Way, Wash., canoeing club

    Photo By Sgt. Christopher Gaylord | Tech. Sgt. Guy Dashnea (center), the fitness outreach program manager for the Health...... read more read more

    WA, UNITED STATES

    04.16.2012

    Story by Sgt. Christopher Gaylord 

    5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

    FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – When Tech. Sgt. Guy Dashnea stumbled upon outrigger canoeing for the first time in 2006 while stationed in Hawaii, he was merely searching for a new way to be active.

    Years of intense weightlifting, running, soccer and football – and a 14-year career as a security forces airman – had begun to take their toll on the 34-year-old’s body. Canoeing offered a high-intensity, low-impact way to stay fit.

    But the sport gave him a family as well.

    “We have poker tournaments, we have potluck parties, we have Christmas parties,” said Dashnea, now a devoted member of the Kikaha O Ke Kai Outrigger Canoe Club, a group based out of Federal Way, Wash., that dedicates itself to the Hawaiian paddling sport. “This is a yearlong family.”

    Dashnea, now 40, and the fitness outreach program manager for the Health and Wellness Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, joined the club a year ago and represents it today as one of its top six paddlers.

    His teammates come from all over. They come as retirees and veterans from the Army and the Air Force, from auto shops and home businesses, from the islands of Hawaii – one is a retired military two-star general. Some are Hawaiian, and some just love the culture.

    Some of the group’s paddlers want to win, and some just want something to do.

    “If you’re not in shape, it’s okay,” said Dashnea, a native of Falls City, Wash. “As long as your tushie can fit in the boat, you’re going to be okay.

    “Either way, they’re not going to judge you.”

    But whatever the motivation, every one instantly becomes part of the family.

    The paddlers share tents when at races across the Pacific Northwest, they share food, and they share heaters when it’s cold.

    “You just feel like you’re part of something,” said Nancy Puglisi, Dashnea’s wife, who is also a member of the club. “And they’re so supportive, and they’re always checking up on you and making sure you’re okay.

    “Most American families – they don’t have that kind of bond.”

    “Our club is pretty family oriented,” said the club’s head coach, Gordon Martinez. “I think that’s the best part of our club.”

    The group is just one of more than 15 that make up the Pacific Northwest Outrigger Racing Canoe Association, which encompasses teams from Washington, Oregon and Montana.

    With about 40 adult paddlers and a team of children who compete as well, the Kikaha O Ke Kai team boasts one of the largest groups in the association.

    The group competes in races across Washington, Oregon and Canada each year.

    On the cool waters of Steel Lake in Federal Way, where the group practices each Tuesday and Thursday evening for nearly two hours and on most weekends, Dashnea and the rest of the team get deep in focus.

    Dashnea serves as one of two “strong paddlers” in his canoe, who sit in the middle of the six-man boat and can offer the most powerful strokes.

    He forgets about everything – about stress, about work. His paddling is all that matters here.

    Across the lake, Martinez coaches a group of beginners through their movements.

    “Keep the timing, boys,” he tells them. “Keep the same stroke rate; you don’t have to rush it.”

    Every paddler stroking at the exact same time is key to the smooth movement, he says.

    “We’ve got to pull together as one to make the boat run smoothly; it’s the same principle as how to run the club smoothly,” he says. “We have a good bunch of guys, and they work well together.”

    Dashnea likens it to a family dynamic.

    “When we’re paddling together we’re like part of a family,” he said. “We don’t want to let the family down. We’re all helping gather the boats; we’re helping to bring each other in.”

    “It just makes the overall experience fun for the families,” Martinez said. “That’s what they look for when they join – they want to experience something new and exciting and a welcoming to the sport.”

    It’s a sport Dashnea is hoping more service members will pursue.

    “A lot of military members have, maybe a bad back or something like that, but they can outrigger canoe with not a lot of impact on their bodies,” he said. “You’re not worried about getting hurt out there.”

    And in the case of this team, there are no strict expectations – no high demands.

    “Just bring a towel and your attitude,” Dashnea said.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 04.16.2012
    Date Posted: 04.16.2012 22:45
    Story ID: 86840
    Location: WA, US
    Hometown: SNOHOMISH, WA, US

    Web Views: 175
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN