October 8, 2022
MARIETTA — The Dragon Boat Festival season recently ended with the Cleveland Festival, but the MOV’n Dragons are looking forward to a busy offseason.
The team, founded in Marietta, welcomes prospective rowers on both sides of the Mid-Ohio Valley. In fact, recruiting new members is one of the most sensible priorities as the team prepares for the 2023 season.
“One of our goals is to continue to expand our team,” said new President Pat Martin, who replaces current President Judy Sites. going everywhere, from 81 to the youngest in their thirties.
“We would like to welcome a younger organization and continue to be successful online over the winter. “
According to its Facebook page, MOV’n Dragons is made up of “thrivers and supporters” of breast cancer. Martin was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and underwent extensive treatment. Races for it. The team in their domain had two ships, however, when they were contacted, there was no more domain in either of them.
Martin moved to Marietta and spent time as a professor at Marietta College.
“At Valley Gem I had a blast — it’s a welcome dinner for new teachers,” Martin said. “I looked over the bow of the steamboat and saw the dragon boat on the river. I asked one of my colleagues if Marietta had a dragon boat crew, and he said, “Oh, yes. “My colleague knew the founder (of MOV’n Dragons), and that got me started.
“It took me a season or two to get used to rowing. It’s love at first sight. He couldn’t stay away.
Due to COVID, Sites’ two-year tenure as president of MOV’n Dragons was extended to one-third.
The sites moved to Marietta in 2013 and live in Williamstown. Team members don’t take much time off-season.
“We meet once a month — we have an organization that starts walking and biking and then hiking,” Sites said. “Our Prosperity Committee reaches out to cancer patients. Message the spirits and let them know that we are there for them.
Several “beginners” (as other dragons call them) have contracted dragon boat fever in this last season. At age 53, Nadine DeSimone competed with the MOV’n Dragons at the Akron and Cleveland festivals. Dragon Boat Racing an absolutely different experience.
“When I went to Akron, it was inspiring,” said DeSimone, who moved to Marietta from Akron. “It was a wonderful participation. I even took my circle of relatives with them and they were impressed.
“The women here are amazing. They are much older and just as inspired. They have a lot of dynamism. Technically, this is a simple thing to do. Physically it is not easy to do. It’s a full-body workout I never planned. “I like to be. . . in the water. I enjoyed it.
DeSimone aspires to make the dragon boat known on a global scale. The festival in New Zealand is a position he mentioned.
“It would be wonderful to participate and form a whole group,” DeSimone said.
MOV’n Dragons bought a momentary boat this season. A complete boat is made up of 20 rowers.
“All rookies enjoyed our first season,” DeSimone said. “I moved here hoping to bring young blood and girls. “
Other topics of discussion for the committee this season are whether and when it can resume fundraising for spaghetti dinner, its 2023 festival calendar for out-of-town festivals and continue with Saturday popsicles. MOV’n Dragons uses Saturday paddles as a way to introduce potential new paddlers to the game in hopes of retaining them as team members.
MOV’n Dragons also has a new coach with the departure of Jessica Fatkin, who accepted a position at Morgantown this month. Fatkin spent six seasons with Marietta.
“I told the girls before our last race in Cleveland and announced the news: I had to do whatever was most productive for my family circle and my career,” Fatkin said. “It’s going to be hard for me to leave. “The team meant a lot to me. I learned a lot. These girls have lived a lot and gone through a lot. Most have been affected by cancer or have experienced cancer. “
“Watching them run on the boat, words can’t even describe how much I admired them and how much I admired them as members of this team. They’re the toughest runners I’ve ever met. They are my dragon friends and my sisters.
More information, MOV’n Dragons can be found on Facebook at movndragons. org or by calling (740) 434-5638.
Kerry Patrick can be reached at kpatrick@newsandsentinel. com
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