Wellington and Rotary’s Dragon Lady
Unlike the heroin in Game of Thrones, Wellingtons Dragon Lady doesn’t ride the backs of dragons she sits and paddles.
Dragon Boat racing is a minor but growing sport in America. It is however huge in Asia. A dragon boat is a long thin canoe with sets of paddlers sitting side by side and a steersman (cox) at the rear and a drummer at the bow beating the paddle rate for the team. There are typically up to 20 people in a dragon boat, although some Asian teams have 50 paddlers. Boats race each other down a course of varying distances.
Although not yet an Olympic sport, each year there are World Games for teams from many countries. This year the games are in China in October and the USA will have several boats competing.
Rotary Club of Wellington member Debi Yong will be part of the USA team, looking for glory for USA, Wellington and Rotary.
Debi, who is a practicing Psychologist, has a love of the sport since she first started competing during her 16 years of splitting time between offices in Wellington Florida and Shanghai China. Now based full time in Wellington she has been able to continue her passion and also to start and coach a ladies’ dragon boat team that races in support of Breast Cancer survivors.
As with many National USA sports teams they are self-funding. Debi needs financial support in her mission to bring back the medals from the World Championships.
If you would like to help Debi in her quest please check out her page and contribute whatever amount you can. Go to: www.gofundme.com/debiyohn/donate
Let’s help send the Dragon Lady to the World Championships in China.
Boom-Boom. Boom-Boom. Boom-Boom. Paddle .Paddle. Paddle.
