Peter Fox often gets asked if he's related to Olympic canoeist Jessica Fox - they share a surname, both went to Blaxland High School and both compete in a water sport with a paddle.
But they're not related.
Mr Fox is a member of Penrith's Pendragons Dragon Boat Club and was also the captain of the Australian team, the Auroras, in the recent world championships in Canada.
He was part of the team that won a gold medal in the 2000m open senior small boat race and he got silver in the 500m and 200m races.
The Blaxland resident was also a part of the Australian mixed team, which won bronze in the 2000m seniors standard boat race.
A relative newcomer to dragon boating, Mr Fox joined the Pendragons in 2010, when a neck injury forced him out of rugby union.
Mr Fox debuted at a world championships in 2013 in Hungary and backed it up with success in Canada.
"It's an 18-month journey to get there and anything on the way can interrupt that goal," he said.
Because dragon boating is not an Olympic sport, Mr Fox had to fund his own trips.
"You're representing yourself, your family, your local area, your state and your nation. To wear the coat of arms is something I'm very proud of.
"Standing up and hearing the national anthem when you get gold is pretty moving. You just can't buy that feeling. It sticks with you for a long time."
Mr Fox's club hosted a Pendragons Abreast on their Paddle Day on the Nepean River on October 16, featuring members who are at different stages of breast cancer and recovery.
It also hosted a recent 'come and try dragon boating day' and its members train twice weekly on the river.
To find out more, visit http://pendragonpanthers.webs.com.
