About

Self-Help for the Elderly a San Francisco non-profit organization providing independent living assistance for older adults had formed the “Women Warriors” dragon boat team, a high-energy group of established women who wanted to participate in races to promote the sport of dragon boating and raise funds and awareness for Self-Help. As most of the racing in the bay area focuses on co-ed race divisions the Women Warriors began to recruit to form a mixed team, the “Warriors for the Elderly” or simply, the “Warriors”.

The Beached Whales were originally the Academy Dragons formed primarily by students from the San Francisco Academy of Arts and their friends. They wanted to build a team that was competitive, yet fun, thus the change of the team’s name to the “Beached Whales”.

The team’s initial race results were quite humbling but the commitment, diversity and high energy of its paddlers soon led to strong improvement on the water and exceptional bonding off the water. As word spread about the team’s results and escapades, many new and enthusiastic paddlers joined DW and helped it grow. By 2003, the Dragon Warriors had become one of the top dragon boat teams in Bay Area. In both 2004 and 2005, the team took on all comers and won the coveted overall championship at the San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival, the most competitive dragon boat race in the United States. In 2005, DW also won the right to compete in the 2006 World Club Crew Championships in Toronto where the team was honored to compete with the world’s best crews. DW’s unique blend of competitiveness and fun has led it to become one of the largest and most respected dragon boat teams in the Bay Area.