Coaches & Team Captains

         
Head Coach - Christopher AlexandrouCoach Christopher Alexandrou Dragon Boat Sydney

The Sloths Dragon Boat Club has some of the best dragon boat coaching in the country. Coach Christopher "Zeus" Alexandrou has a proven track record of successful coaching at club, state, national and international levels. He has been a part of the Sloths coaching team since 2001, taking on the Head Coach role in 2009, and has guided the club to numerous State, National and Club Crew World Championships medals.

Training with the Sloths is the perfect preparation for paddling at a representative level. Drawing on his experience with elite crews, Zeus knows what it takes to win, and can train you to get there.

 

Assistant Coach - Pete Jolly

Profile coming soon!

 

Assistant Coach - Emily DugarEmily Sloths Dragon Boat Assistant Coach Sydney

Profile coming soon!

Sydney Dragon Boat Club Captain HarryAssistant Coach - Harry Woods

I started dragon boating in 2020, drawn to the unique team dynamics of the sport. It thrives on collective effort, requiring everyone to be in perfect synch for the boat to move swiftly. This environment, where everyone is working hard together to propel the boat, is exhilarating when we get it right.

As one of the Sloths, I really value the camaraderie and support we share. Our club, united in striving for improvement, fosters a positive, competitive spirit.

As an assistant coach my role is to work with new paddlers. The good news is paddling is easy to learn, but it's very hard to master. Most new paddlers learn enough to race within a few weeks, and every paddler in the boat has something they're working to improve no matter how long they've been paddling.

 

Olivia Women's Captain Dragon boat in SydneyWomen's Captain - Olivia Kapocius

Hello, I'm Olivia, and I'm honored to serve as the women's captain for the 2023/24 season. My paddling journey began in 2012, and it's been an incredible ride ever since. Early on, I was fortunate to experience success as a Junior, representing both the NSW Team and the Auroras during the Canada 2015 World Championships campaign.

After taking a break from the sport to explore other athletic pursuits, I made a triumphant return to Dragon Boating in 2022, proudly donning the purple colors of the Sloths Dragon Boat Club. Since then, there's been no looking back. In 2023, I had the amazing opportunity to compete as an Aurora in the 24U division at the World Championships in Thailand. The experiences and knowledge gained from that campaign are invaluable, and I'm eager to bring them back to the Sloths, contributing to our collective growth, especially after the excitement of the 2022/23 season.

As the women's captain, I'm thrilled to lead this incredible group of athletes into the upcoming season. The positive, welcoming, and supportive club culture at Sloths is something special. Regardless of age or experience, everyone is embraced. My goal is to foster and build upon this culture within the club.

I look forward to the challenges ahead and am excited to collaborate with the club coaches and fellow captains to continue building on our outstanding results from previous seasons

 

Open's Captain - Jon HanlonJon open's dragon boat captain for Sloths in Sydney

I’ve been a Sloth for 4 seasons now and love it! For me, The Sloths strike the right balance between competitiveness at regattas and comradery on and off the water. 

I came to the Sloths after 5 years of paddling and 3 years coaching in Guangzhou, China. Since, being back in Sydney, I’ve paddled for Sloths and the NSW and Australian teams. In the previous two seasons I captained our mixed team and now shift to captain our open's crew. 

As captain, I aim to motivate our paddlers and set an example of the level of commitment and fitness needed to earn a seat in this champion racing team. I do my best to make sure all paddlers have the opportunity to improve, are treated fairly and have a positive experience in our sport. As we prepare for Auschamps in Perth, our open's crew has its sights set on a 3rd year as national champions. I hope to help make that a reality.

 

Nat Women's Captain Sloths Dragon Boat in SydneyMixed Captain - Nat Trajcevski

After joining a work corporate crew 13 years ago, I joined the club that trained us and never looked back. I found a new sport and have loved the camaraderie and DB community I am part of.

My Dragon Boat story includes: 5 x Australian representative in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2023. 1 x Club Crew World Championship 2022. 8 x NSW State representative. Level 1 Coach and Level 2 Official. Plus coach of multiple corporate crews for Lunar New Year since 2014. Teaching and mentoring new paddlers is one of my favourite parts about Dragon Boating. 

I have been a Sloth since 2019 and have to say this is the best club i have ever been a part of. The culture and commitment to training is unique, along with a huge depth of experience amongst our crew, makes it the best team. As the captain of the mixed crew this season, I hope to further synchronise and blend our team into a fluid and technically better team than ever before!