MOVEMBER: Grow a Mo, Save a Bro!!!
Para Powered Crew (PPC): Ottawa’s Inclusive Dragon Boat Team
Para Powered Crew (PPC): Ottawa’s Inclusive Dragon Boat Team
Empowering Para Athletes and Those with Invisible Disorders to Paddle with Purpose
The Change Coalition has joined the The Para Powered Crew (PPC). The PPC was born from a passion for inclusion, teamwork, and the love of being on the water. The Change Coalition wants to be part of their story. Their story begins on the world stage — but its heart beats right here in Ottawa.
Join Our Journey
Building Strength and Spirit – 2025
Building Strength and Spirit – 2025
The Para Powered Crew isn’t just a team — it’s a movement. We’re proving that inclusion, passion, and teamwork can make waves both on and off the water.
If you love the water, believe in community, and want to be part of something empowering, come row with us.
Together, we’re not just racing — we’re redefining what it means to be Para Powered.
Building Strength and Spirit – 2025
Building Strength and Spirit – 2025
Building Strength and Spirit – 2025
When we discovered how costly the adaptive seat would be, we put the purchase on hold — but the paddling community showed its heart. The Ottawa River Canoe Club (ORCC) lent us one of their adaptive seats, bringing pure joy to one very happy paddler this summer.
As the season progressed, we recognized the importance of commitment from both Para and able-bodied paddlers. A standard PD2 crew requires a 50/50 split — 10 Para athletes and 10 able-bodied paddlers — and this balance helped us strengthen our boat, improve practices, and deepen our unity.
Our able-bodied teammates shared the same values: passion for the water, teamwork over competition, and the belief that inclusion makes every stroke stronger.
Finding Our Name
Finding Our Name
Finding Our Name
One summer evening during practice, between paddle sets, the team began tossing around name ideas. Then it happened — someone mentioned “Pink Pony Club,” the catchy Chappell Roan song stuck in our heads. From there, the acronym PPC was born, quickly evolving into something meaningful and uniquely ours:
Para Powered Crew.
It was a true team effort, reflecting our energy, positivity, and power — together.
Racing Forward
Finding Our Name
Finding Our Name
The 2025 Tim Hortons Festival was a special one. For the first time, we had real competition — ORCC’s Para crew and a Veterans crew joined us on the water. With teamwork, strength, and heart, we brought home the Gold!
Looking ahead, 2026 will bring new goals and new challenges.
We plan to ramp up our technical training and prepare for the National Team trials in October. With better synchronization, stronger starts, and more time in the boat, we’re ready to keep flying up and down the river — together.
Our First Season – 2024
"How to Train Your Dragon"
Our first official year on the water was 2024. We paddled through the summer, training hard and building our team spirit. When the Tim Hortons Festival rolled around, we knew we wanted to make a splash — and not just with our paddles. Hosted by Chinatown's Showboat, we went all-in with a fun theme: “How to Train Your Dragon.”
With no other Para teams to compete against, the festival organizers allowed us to race in small boats (10-person) within a standard-sized boat. We split our 20 rowers into two teams — Toothless and Light Fury — and raced alongside a Senior D crew (70 years+). It was an incredible experience, full of laughter, learning, and heart.
That fall, we began fundraising to purchase an adaptable seat for one of our rowers, aiming to make our boat more accessible for everyone.
