Visually impaired S’pore dragon boater makes waves with his Dragon Warriors team

Bernard Chew (first from left, with cap) paddles from the front with Team Dragon Warriors during Century Race 2025 at Jurong Lake in February. He is the only paddler on the team who is totally blind. PHOTO: SINGAPORE DRAGON BOAT ASSOCIATION

Samuel Tan

UPDATED Jun 22, 2025, 12:50 AM

Thanks for sharing!

SINGAPORE – When he woke up with dark vision one morning in 2017, Bernard Chew knew something was terribly wrong. Later that day, doctors at the hospital told him that he had retinal detachment in both eyes – but they could not save his sight.

Chew, 54, said: “I had an operation. They actually managed to save my retina. It was attached back but I still lost my eyesight because there was a lot of damage to the optic nerves.

“That was the main thing that caused me to be totally blind.”

The former national dragon boater, who was then a freelance English drama teacher, saw his life change completely, but his passion for the sport never wavered.

In 2018, he started paddling for leisure with the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped. However, that came to an abrupt end when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

But Chew, who was part of the national team from 1995 to 2000 and captained the side for two years, was determined to continue and also provide a form of exercise for the visually impaired.

Under DB Hearts –  a ground-up initiative comprising volunteers from the local dragon boat community who seek to be inclusive – Team Dragon Warriors was set up in 2020, together with team manager Chua S.K. and fellow committee member Benson Loo.

When asked what birthed the idea, Chew, who now works as a massage therapist, said: “I guess it’s the passion.

“I just thought ‘hey, why not?’ because before I lost my eyesight I was already doing dragon boat. I have the ability and I know what it’s all about.”

Initially started for visually impaired persons, Team Dragon Warriors have since recruited those who are hearing impaired or have conditions such as cerebral palsy.

Able-bodied volunteers from various organisations help the persons with disabilities (PWDs). When they are competing, each PWD is paired with an able-bodied paddler.

Chew, who captains the team, also shows beginners the ropes.

He said: “Even though we cannot see, we can hear the sound of the drums and the beatings of the water using the paddle. So I only have to do by example, step by step.”

The team meet every Sunday at PAssion Wave @ Marina Bay for their training session, where they focus on areas like coordination.

“They may (accidentally) hit the paddle in front of them and that will be difficult to recover from. If everybody paddles in sync, then the boat will glide very naturally,” Chew added.

He creates the training programmes with coach Daniel Liu, who has hearing impairment.

Liu, who works in project management, lost his hearing in 2017 due to noise-induced hearing loss.

He initially joined Team Dragon Warriors in 2021 as a volunteer, but took on a coaching role as he had 17 years of experience competing in the sport for Safra and the Civil Service College.

Through a combination of lip-reading and cued speech, he is able to teach the team members and correct their paddling form.

Liu, 40, said: “(Bernard and I) adjust the coaching instructions and training sessions (when needed) and share information on how to excel better as para paddlers.”

Visually impaired dragon boater Yip Chuen Chong, who joined the team in 2023, said: “When I was sighted, I did not know anything about dragon boat.

“During these two years, I learnt the correct way to hold the paddle, techniques of rowing and improved on synchronisation through the help of the team captain Bernard, coach Daniel and volunteers.”

More on this Topic

The 54-year-old, who works as a massage therapist, said that through the sport, he feels “fitter, stronger and more equipped to handle work, and in the process get to know more friends both visually impaired and sighted”.

Since 2020, Team Dragon Warriors have participated in various local and overseas races (100m, 200m, and 300m) in the adaptive, masters and general categories, winning 10 gold, 10 silver and four bronze medals.

Notably, in 2023 they became the first adaptive team – or team with PWDs – from Singapore to participate in the Sarawak International Dragon Boat Regatta, competing in the Masters category against able-bodied paddlers from around the world.

On June 14, they were among 14 inclusive teams at the Paddle as One North East dragonboat race at PAssion Wave @ Bedok Reservoir. Their next competition is the Pesta Sukan on July 26.

Chew said being involved in Team Dragon Warriors is an “eye-opener for all of us, even for me”, adding: “It gives us a sense of confidence.

“Even though we are PWDs, we must go beyond our disability. If I can see beyond my disability, so can you.”

Liu added: “Dragon boating helps the PWDs foster autonomy and builds trust and self-esteem which is essential to a better social life.”

More on this Topic

Join  ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Thanks for sharing!