FACULTY FOCUS Paddles Up! BY ALYSON DOTY AND KIMBERLEY FUNG
It’s Wednesday aſternoon and HKA staff have just finished an aſternoon of professional development. Instead of heading home, a group comprised of HKA teachers, administrators, parents, spouses and maintenance staff are jumping into dragon boats on the Sai Kung Waterfront for a two hour training session on the water. Captained by Karin Maddox and James Woodard, the team begins weekly ‘social paddling’ as early as October with the official training season beginning early in March.
2014 HKA Dragonboat team: Karin Maddox, James Woodard, Benjamin Thomas, Kimberley Fung, Fay Beese, Alyson Doty, Alicia Messing, Andy Onken, Todd Onken, Heather Goode, Katherine Roundy, Jamie Harvey, Virginia Hunt, Carla Nagel, Mike Hemsley, Jeannine Freeman, Jen Swinehart, Una Byrne Beattie, Peter Lincoln, Heather Linhardt, Ryan Chan, Matt Jackson
While different team members have come and gone, the Dragonflies team has been together for eight years. Unlike many other teams in Hong Kong, the Dragonflies doesn’t require tryouts or make cuts. What makes the team so special is its members’ dedication and camaraderie. Rain or shine, aſter a long day of work or giving up time on the weekend, the Dragonflies are a team that knows how to practice hard, but also have fun.
On May 4th, the HKA Dragonflies competed in their first race in the Sai Kung community, the Sai Kung Dragon Boat Lovers Fun Day races, winning the Silver Cup. During the Stanley Warm-Up Races, they competed against 94 teams and got through to the Bronze Cup Final. The highlight of the season, however, was this year’s Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships on June 2nd on Tuen Ng Festival. It was the largest race event in dragon boat history, with over 288 teams competing from all over the globe. The team went from strength to strength, getting through to the Silver Cup Final and placed an impressive 31st out of 198 mixed teams participating. The Hong Kong Academy Dragonflies is yet another reason to be proud of the HKA community.
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