About
Hi there! My name is Laura, and I would like to tell you the story behind my company Egan’s Creek.
From the time I first picked up a crayon, I have had a love of drawing. You could say it runs in the family. In 1960, when my Uncle James “Jimmy” Beard was only 16 he designed the seal for the City of Fernandina Beach, and it is still in use today. Though I have not lived there since I was a small child, my family’s roots run deep in Fernandina Beach. There will always be a special place in my heart for the first place I called home, which is why I named my company after the majestic little creek that winds its way through the small coastal town.
A water baby at heart, it is no wonder I fell in love with Dragon Boat Racing. This incredible sport has brought me such joy, as well as introduced me to an extraordinary group of people for whom I am so proud to call my family. Their hearts are strong and their passion for this sport is so overwhelmingly contagious I couldn’t help but be swept away. To express my love of Dragon Boating I created Egan’s Creek and all the unique designs within.
I was introduced to Dragon Boating one day scrolling through Meetup. I found myself pondering over one in particular, “Hmm … What the heck is a Dragon Boat?” Intrigued I signed up to learn more. Now, I have never really considered myself a wimp. I enlisted in the Army at 19. I took on Tank Hill at Fort Jackson, SC. I thought to myself, “paddling in a big canoe can’t be that hard.” But my first day in that boat with the Jacksonville Dragon Boat Club (JDBC) wasn’t pretty. Talk about humbling. I was in a boat with women who were 15 to 20 years my senior and their athleticism awed me. I thought my arms were going to fall off and my butt wasn’t feeling much better. But I came back! I was hell-bent and determined to be as good as the amazing ladies in that boat with me. I have been hooked ever since.
This is what I quickly learned. Lesson #1: Use proper technique. Easier said than done, but with time (and lots of correcting from my coaches Marty Millard and Drew Rogers) my technique has much improved. Lesson #2: Invest in a Dragon Saddle. Your butt will thank you. I know mine did. Lesson #3: What you do off the boat is just as important as what you do on it. For me, that means eating healthier and hitting the gym. For some of my teammates, it means walking, running, biking, climbing, standup paddle boarding, etc. Whatever strikes your fancy, as long as you are getting your body moving and heart rate up. FYI … I’ve lost 50 lbs. since I started paddling.
My home team is JDBC, however, I cut my teeth at my first Dragon Boat Festival paddling with the Johnson & Johnson Vision See Dragons. I’d like to send a huge shout-out to all my J&J paddle peeps! I’ve also had the honor of paddling with the Florida Tarpons, Southern Heat, the Clermont Highlanders, the Puff Dragon Boat Team out of Miami, and the extraordinary Mammoglams.
I cannot end this post without highlighting the Mammoglams. Remember those amazing ladies I mentioned earlier? Well, the ladies in the boat with me that day were all breast cancer survivors, and the City of Jacksonville has the honor of having a Dragon Boat Team composed entirely of breast cancer survivors: The Mammoglams. The courage and strength of these women are beyond awe-inspiring, and in their words, “We won the battle! So now let’s Paddle!”
The Founders of both JDBC and the Mammoglams are Marty and Jeri Millard. Jeri, a twice-over cancer survivor, is also the Founder and CEO of In the Pink, a one-of-a-kind non-profit (501c3) boutique serving women, men, and children with all types of cancer. They provide an extensive selection of apparel, products, services, and resources from their locations in Jacksonville Beach, FL, and Sarasota, FL. As a thank you, for everything they have done for me, 6% of the profit made by Egan’s Creek will be donated to In the Pink to aid in furthering their mission. You too can donate today by clicking here.
I truly hope my Egan’s Creek designs bring you as much joy as Dragon Boating has brought me. Stay tuned! For there shall be more to come. Until then, Paddles Up! And as my coach Drew Rogers would say, “Keep it Dragon Boat Sexy!” LOL … careful what you say around me, I might just make it into a t-shirt … or better yet, leggings.