Dragon boat
For 17 years, the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival — the largest of its kind in the nation — has been a source of pride and cultural preservation for thousands of Asians across the Rocky Mountain region. Forty teams competed in the namesake activity, dragon boat racing, a 2,000-year-old traditional Chinese paddling sport that combines art and athleticism. It is held every year at the end of July at Sloan's Lake in Denver, CO.
TERRY KHAT | CAPTAIN
Terry Khat is a first generation born in Denver, Colorado after his family immigrated from Cambodia. He graduated from CU-Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus with a degree in Biology with emphasis in Molecular Biology. Terry utilized this degree outside of laboratory work as a Personal Trainer at Bally Sport and 24 Hour Fitness helping people escape from pseudo-science. He has trained over 2000 hours with clients to reach their health and fitness goals. He specializes in soft tissue therapy/rehabilitation, weight loss, strength gaining, and Muay Thai kickboxing. He is currently employed by Terumo BCT working in R&D for medical devices and products funded by various agencies including blood centers and military. Terry is also a chef invested in a few projects in the Denver/Aurora area adding flare to cuisine. He hopes to bring his passion for science, health, and fitness to SOCCA and the Dragon Boat Team as a Captain.
VIANN HA | CO-CAPTAIN
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, ViAnn Ha has always found herself intrigued by the customs and traditions of the diverse cultures surrounding her. ViAnn’s father was fostered by an American family when he first came to the United States from Vietnam. Although he learned about the American customs and traditions, he kept his Vietnamese values close and taught them to ViAnn and her siblings. ViAnn understands the importance of keeping any culture alive.
She became involved with SOCCA in 2009 where she met her husband, John, a first generation Cambodian - American. ViAnn has taken in the Cambodian culture that John and his family has taught her and loves every aspect of it.
ViAnn is currently employed at the Metropolitan State University of Denver as the Information Technology Services Client Configuration Analyst. She works rigorously to ensure that staff, faculty and students have the technology they need in order to become successful at MSU Denver.
ViAnn's dedication to the culture, exceptional organization skills, and reliability has proven to be a great asset to the SOCCA organization. She carries her work ethics and attention to detail with her as the logistics captain of the SOCCA Dragon Boat Team.
