After less than 12 months in the sport, this Edmonton teen is going to the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships

Edmonton teen dragon boating phenom Sumair Uppal, 14, will represent Canada at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships. Nahreman Issa has his story.

An Edmonton teen is preparing to represent Canada at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Thailand next month, and he's only in his second season in the sport.

Sumair Uppal, 14, got involved with the Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club last summer.

"My mom saw a Facebook post from the club last August. There was a new team for learn-to-paddle people," he told CTV News Edmonton.

"My mom asked me if I wanted to do it, and I was like 'Sure, why not.'"

It only took a few practices for officials with the Edmonton club to see that Uppal had talent.

"On the third practice, the learn-to-paddle coach, she told me that she's going to put me on the premier team."

"She said to start training for nationals because the first selection camp was in October. So I had two months to prepare for the first camp."

Uppal started training hard after that, in addition to preparing for Grade 9 exams and his other hobbies, soccer, football, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

His hard work paid off. In May, he found out that he had been selected for the under 16 junior national team.

"I was at an art museum, and I was looking through the pieces and I got a notification on my phone. And I showed it to my mom and she was so happy."

Uppal's coach at the Edmonton club said his willingness to learn makes him a great fit for the team.

"This is a very inclusive and diverse sport, and the ability to actually jump in and pull for your teammates and do hard work and try and better yourself and be very receptive has made him stand out," James Eustis said. "He’s a wonderful young athlete, and we know that he’s going to make our country proud."

Eustis said 16 people from Edmonton will be representing Canada in Thailand across all age groups. Uppal says he's the first person from India to represent Canada in the sport.

"To be selected, you can think of it as being top 30 in the entire country. And it’s clubs from basically Vancouver all the way out to Newfoundland that are sending representatives."

The executive director for Dragon Boat Canada says it's even more special to see junior team members come from Edmonton, because Edmonton lacks the dragon boat resources that other Canadian cities have.

"In other parts of the country there are very strong junior programs and school programs and varsity programs and all those kinds of things that really help and support athletes in the junior age class to be able to make the progression to national time to high-performance racing. And that's something that doesn't exist in the Edmonton area," Chloe Greenhalgh said.

Uppal's coach on the national team said the trip to Thailand will be a challenge for the young athletes for multiple reasons.

"You have to have the ambition as well as making sure you do have the family support as well as the financial support," Geoff Johnston said. "Unfortunately this does cost a significant amount of money. It's costing the junior athletes probably a little more than $8,000 for the Alberta athletes to be part of this training program."

Uppal has launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for his trip.

As of July 10, he had raised $3,000 of his $5,000 goal.

He said while he hasn't been competing long, dragon boat has become his favourite of his hobbies.

"I just like being on the water. It just makes me happier."

He even looks forward to early-morning practices.

"The sun's just rising, you can see it all on the skyline of the city. It's perfect."

The world championships will take place Aug. 7 to 13 in Pattaya, Thailand.

As for what's next for Uppal?

"Training for next year. It starts the day I get back."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Katie Chamberlain and Galen McDougall