Dragon Boating NSW has grown from humble beginnings to a sport with over 2500 members. This has only been possible through the dedication and commitment of many people who have, over the years given their personal time, energy and passion to the development of the sport. Dragon Boating NSW has recently been acknowledged for its professionalism by Sports NSW, voted NSW Organisation of the Year (2007) and NSW Event of the Year (2007). Below is an honour roll listing some of the people who have made this possible on and off the water.

Life Membership Award

2010 - Chris Alexandrou

• Chris has been a member of the Sloths since 2002
• Chris has served on the DBNSW Board from 2003 to 2007 as Finance Director
• Chris was a Sweep coordinator from  2007 – 2010
• Chris is currently an AusDBF Board Director
• Over the years Chris has given up his time to help coach and teach sweeps particularly with DAS and Different Strokes
• Chris has been involved in many subcommittee- Bank St, Constitution  to name a few
• Chris coached the 2006 NSW State Squad and the 2006 Australian Team that went to the Asian Championships in Macau
• Chris has been involved in many of the NSW State and Australian Campaigns  as both sweep and providing all the background  support to the coaches either assisting with time trials, organising bits and pieces
• Has always assisted with volunteering at Corporate Regatta’s, Australian Championships and other NSW regatta’s as required.
• Has assisted with clean ups at Bank St and maintenance
  Chris has always been very generous with his time, always willing to lend a hand, no matter how menial the task and nothing is ever a problem, has been a fantastic friend to many  people in the dragon boat community

2009 - None awarded
2008 – Sylvia Wong
2007 – Robert Turnbull
2006 – Melanie Cantwell
2005 – George Louie
2004 – Gavin Godfrey
2003 – Steven Davidson
2000 – Jon Taylor

Individual of the Year Award

2010 - Karen Kiely

• Karen is responsible for setting up the Clarence Valley Schools Program in 2009
• Karen took on the role of co-ordinator for this program and liaised with the Education Department and DBNSW
• Karen worked with DBNSW and made recommendation to improve the junior policy
• Karen recruited specialised members (Coaches/Sweeps/Volunteers) from the Coffs Coast Dragon Boat Club, Clarence Valley Dragons Abreast and Grafton Dragon Boat Club to assist
• Karen liaised with the school Principles and various school department heads to organise permission notes to go to the parents, organise transport to training and teacher supervision while at training
• Karen liaised with Clarence Community Events to have a privately owned dragon boat made available to Grafton High School
• Karen liaised with the President of DBNSW to have a DBNSW EDBF boat supplied to the schools program and pushed to have a trailer built so the boat could be transported to and from training
• Karen’s passion for the sport of dragon boating saw her overcome many hurdles in getting the schools program to the level that was achieved at the end of 2009 by having five (5) schools participating in the program and up 408 students over a five (5) week period which allowed students to have the opportunity to experience the thrill of dragon boating
• After the success of the Grafton/South Grafton schools participation Maclean High School have expressed interest in the program
• Karen recruited and trained a team for the Jacaranda Dragon Boat Festival in 2009

2009 - Rex Wright
2008 – Simon Wong
2007 – Chris Alexandrou
2006 – James Whisker
2005 – Dave Hammond
2004 – Jenny Petterson
2003 – Melanie Cantwell

Club of the Year Award

2010 - Different Strokes

• Started the season with 10 members and have finished with 60 members
• Have provided volunteers at numerous regatta’s
• Have participated at meetings
• Have manage to get themselves accredited sweeps and more in training
• Have members qualified in the State Team
• Have finished the season with teams entered in Prem Mixed , open and women’s

2009 - Central Coast Sea Dragons
2008 – Port Hacking
2007 – Zen Dragons
2006 – FFB
2005 – Sydney Tsunami
2004 – DSA
2003 – VADB

Margaret Cantwell Memorial Award

2010 - Simon Freke

• Has served on the board of DBNSW the last 4/5 years
• Has really taken on the role of volunteer coordinator
• Has implemented many process in the way DBNSW runs our regional events
• Has not a missed a regional event since we started
• Is always the first to lend a hand with loading the boats and unloading them at the end of the day
• No matter what time of day it is or where we are, Simon is always there with a smile and warm and welcoming into the volunteering group.
• Simon makes Community Regatta’s lots of fun for the participants
• He is “Mr personality”
• He has a calm, no problem with a smile attitude

2009 - Mal Wills

Volunteer Recogition 2010

DBNSW also acknowledged and thanked the following members for the volunteering contribution to the 19 regatta’s held by DBNSW in the last 12 months:

• Kay Wills  (Port Hacking)– 4 events
• Maureen O’Neill (Port Hacking)– 4 events
• Brian Leedham – 4 events
• Darren Gilchrist (Bluefins) – 4 events
• Greg Moore –  (Bei Loon) 5 events
• Kim Simpson – (Tsunami) 5 events
• Linda McGrath –(Port Hacking)  5 events
• Rob Turnbull – (SDB) 5 events
• Seja – (Coffs Coast) 5 events
• Petra Moynihan –  (Central Coast)5 events
• Peter Macoun – (City Dragons) 5 events
• Alice Steel – (City Dragons) 5 events
• Chre Smith – (Newcastle Hunter) 5 events
• Albert Au –  (SDB) 6 events
• Steven Davidson – (East’s)  8 events
• Rex  Wright -  9 events
• Simon Freke – (Tsunami) 9 events
• Mal Wills – 14 (Port Hacking)  events

DBNSW also thanked the following people for their hard work during the last 12 months:

• Kris Lewis – North Coast Coordinator – who will be standing down from this position at the end of the season after 4 years as the face of the North Coast.
• George Louie – NSW Sweep coordinator – who has stood aside after many years to concentrate to energy and time the NSW Development Squad
• Chris Alexandrou – NSW Sweep Coordinator – who has stood down after 3 years to concentrate on other opportunities
• Steve Davidson – NSW President
• Karen Taylor – Administration Director
• The very hard working DBNSW Board – Daniel Kong, Sylvia Wong, Mal Wills, Simon Freke, Larry Oakley