Dragon boat racers practice June 16 at Shabbona Lake State Park.

When Gary Scott retired a few years ago, he refused to become a “couch potato,” so at 71 years old he joined a dragon boat team.

The Sycamore resident may be older than most of his teammates and his competition, but he works just as hard to stay in top shape for the sport, which consists of at least a dozen paddlers working together to race their watercraft to the finish line.

An avid photographer of DeKalb County barns, Scott compares his training to the upkeep of old buildings.

“Everyone says, ‘you’re 74, why don’t you take it easy,’ but I can’t,” Scott said. “I compare our physical bodies to the barns you see in this county. The ones that are no longer being used are run down and falling apart. But the ones that are used and taken care of still look great. It’s just like with your body – if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Two dragon boat teams are based out of DeKalb County, and due to popularity of the sport, members are looking to start a third team. The teams – the Flying Ears and Paddlin’ for MB – are made up of members from Sycamore, Maple Park, Rockford, Belvidere and the surrounding areas. Members are of all ages. They practice throughout the summer on Sunday mornings at Shabbona Lake.

The sport involves a team of usually 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steers person who all work together to get the long, narrow boat to the finish line before the competition.

The paddlers work together in rhythm and endurance to power the boat in a swift movement. Although a practice in Shabbona can last as long as an hour, most races only last for a minute.

The team regularly travels to racing events throughout the Midwest before competing in national tournaments in places as far as Orlando.

Scheduled competitions for the rest of the season include the Big Blue Dragon Boat Festival July 16 in LaCrosse, Wis., the Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival July 30 in Arlington Heights, and the Minocqua Dragon Boat Festival August 20 in Lake Minocqua, Wis. The groups post updates on their races, including dates and the results, on their respective Facebook pages.

The origins of dragon boat racing date back to almost 2,000 years ago in China, said Josh Corn, of Maple Park, who is the captain of Paddlin’ for MB.

Paddlin’ for MB, is named for Marybeth McGill, the team founder who encouraged Corn to join before she died of lung cancer in 2012.

The group competes in her honor, and on June 18 they took home gold in the Capital Lakes DragonFest in Madison, Wis. They regularly compete in regional and national competitions.

“It’s a team full of amazing people,” Corn said. “These teammates would do anything for each other. Not only it is an outlet to be motivated physically, but it’s a lot of fun.”

The sport requires the members to work together, which makes it a trying but rewarding sport, said member Allison Dunnington, of DeKalb.

“It’s the most team-oriented sport you can have,” Dunnington said. “There’s no ego and there’s no obvious superstar of a team. You either all win together or you all lose together. You can’t point fingers.”

And while the Flying Ears team has its share of wins, it’s about much more than that, says team captain Kim Wilkerson, of Sycamore.

“When I started in 2013, I wasn’t athletic or sports-minded,” Wilkerson said. “But I tried it and fell in love. A lot of different people are here; people who have kids and have responsibilities; and people who don’t have their own ‘special thing,’ this becomes their ‘thing.’ You grow and you become this stronger person.”

For more information about the teams, message their Facebook pages, email paddlinformb@gmail.com, or watch the teams on Lake Shabbona on Sunday mornings.