London teen has sights set on gold at the World Dragon Boat Championships

When Mia Kaufman immigrated to Canada from Taiwan eight years ago, she never dreamed she would one day be representing her adoptive country on the world stage. The 17-year old, who now lives in London, Ont., has been chosen to join Canada's Junior National Dragon Boat team to compete at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Thailand this August.

Kaufman, who loves music, science and academic competitions, is still coming to grips with the fact that she's going to be representing her adoptive country on the world stage.

"I feel like it won't actually hit me that I will be representing Canada until I actually get there and go like, wow, this is crazy," she said.

She has been drag boat racing for four years now, thanks to the advice of a neighbour, something Kaufman said has had a tremendous impact on her life.

"Just being on the team and on the water, it's a feeling I don't know how to describe. It's everyone working together to move forward, to reach this common goal. It's a feeling of completion, a sense of being balanced, like you don't have to think about anything else.

"You're just all doing this and working hard to reach a goal, to hit a new record and I think that's just amazing," said Kaufman.

Making the cut wasn't a surprise to her coach Marie-Eve Lessard at the Thames River Paddling Club.

"She's always been very busy. She's doing music, she's doing arts, she's taking so many extracurricular courses but she's made the time," she said.

It takes a lot of focus and dedication to make the Junior National team, added Geoff Johnston, one of the two coaches for the national team.

"Everyone whose been competing for the position has been in intensive training since last summer, even though officially registration