in the beginning...

In mid 2003 a proposal was put forward that teachers and parents from both Canberra Grammar and Canberra Girls' Grammar schools form a combined team to compete in the 9th Australian Masters Games to be held in Canberra later that year. Finding prospective paddlers over the required 45 years of age was not difficult, with several of our members over 60 years of age.

Having only had a handful of training sessions, very limited race experience, using borrowed uniforms (thank goodness for stretch material) and paddles from the students, the Canberra Grammar Flyers managed a very credible third placing in our first major event.

The excitement of the event was too much to walk away from so a decision was made to continue as a social group getting together once a week for a "paddle on the lake". Shortly afterwards we decided to enter the Chinese New Year Dragon Boat races to be held at Darling Harbour in February, 2004. Competing in our new T-shirts, we proved no match for the younger and fitter teams but emerged with our enthusiasm fuelled by a fantastic day's racing.

After a decision to take part in the Pan Pacific Masters Games, we decided that we needed a more structured club organisation and training schedule. With a name change to Dragon Flyers and the launch of a new official uniform in October 2004 we were now set to continue as a socially oriented club committed to enjoying competitive dragon boat racing.

Since those early beginning the Canberra Dragon Flyers have steadily grown to be one of the larger teams in the ACT. Certainly the Dragon Flyers have kept to their original ethos, through having an inclusive and enjoyable team atmosphere that has something for all paddlers - and being competitive at regattas in the ACT and elsewhere.