The PHILADELPHIA FLYING PHOENIX women's dragonboat team was founded in
2003. It is comprised of over 70 dedicated women of various ages (25 through 70), backgrounds, and athletic abilities who are enthusiastically participating in the sport of dragonboating. We are a unique team, composed of three separate divisions: competitive, recreational, and our breast cancer survivors team "Against the Wind" which has been in existence since 2001. There is something for everyone at every level of fitness. All are welcome!

Our teams paddle two to three times per week on the Schuylkill River during our April to October season and participate in several regattas and festivals on the East Coast, (last year we participated competitively in festivals in Washington DC, Montreal, Vermont, and Princeton) culminating with the Philadelphia Dragonboat Festival every October.

No one is expected to know how to paddle a dragonboat when she first becomes a member. We have a dedicated coach who teaches new members how to paddle and experienced members how to improve. She is an experienced dragonboater, an occupational therapist, and breast cancer survivor who understands both the physical and mental requirements.

During the off-season we maintain our commitment and strength through both independent training and shared access to paddle-adapted ergometers located at our work-out center (in donated space located in the Wissahickon Charter School). This is also where we review film footage of our on-water practices with the coach, to discern where we need improvement. Many members attend a dragonboat camp in Florida to rev up for the new season and we host an intense mini-camp weekend, right here on the Schuylkill, so that all team members have an opportunity to be trained on the subtleties of dragonboating.

The team is run on volunteer power. Once you become a member, you will be asked to pitch in with some aspect of the running the organization. This is a fun and rewarding experience. We have an executive committee, whose members are elected by the group, and several sub-committees who work together on numerous aspects of keeping the organization dynamic, interesting, productive, and vital. There is a place for everyone to get involved!

As team members we not only have the opportunity to experience all that comes with this exhilarating sport, we are committed to reaching out to others through community service. We participate in breast cancer awareness groups, provide monthly dinners at the local Ronald McDonald House, and pack food for the less fortunate at SHARE, a local food distribution program for needy families.

We are women supporting women; we are women involved in the community; we are women who gain strength from each other, as individuals and as a team. Our group’s diversity sends out a clear message to other women in the Delaware Valley community of hope and optimism and that anything and everything is possible through a united effort.

OUR MISSION

• To share the joys and benefits of dragonboating with all who are    interested
• To enhance our own physical fitness
• To participate in community service
• To participate in breast cancer awareness events and to be a positive    and supportive influence on breast cancer survivors of the Delaware    Valley and beyond
• To participate in dragonboat competitions in open races, masters’    races, and breast cancer survivors’ races.