Youth Team

The Manayunk Dragon Boat Racing Team

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Youth Team

Manayunk Youth Dragon Boat Racing Team

United States National Champions!

Congratulations Team USA!

National Champions

Team USA - The Manayunk Youth Dragon Boat Racing Team

The Manayunk Youth Racing Team -

Team USA Roster:

Ashley Blundetto - Captain, Mike Blundetto, Jr. - Captain, Brittany Blundetto - Drummer, Evan Landman - Steersman, Heather Gregan, Cole Paynter, Dan Feingold, Sam Powell, Harry Saylor, Margarett Saylor, Lucille Tower, John Carges, Zack Eidsvoog, Angelica Liharik, Loui Leager, Allison Taylor, Sarah Scrivens, Sam Kelly, Giullia Anderson, Tyler Jewel, Celeste Wise, Elizabeth Montgomery, Kori Canale, Chandler Johnson, Julie Felios, Dan Jacobs, Kristina Le, Sarah Leung, Kimberly Morris, Samantha Matsunami, Jessica Lord, Kaitlyn Higa, Kristine Donahue, Mackenzie Dale, Megan Ikemoto, Kate Bernard,, Rachelle Wong, Kally Marie Gaughan.

Hey TEAM, you just won Nationals - What's next?

We're going to DISNEY!

Hey Team, you just won Nationals! What's next?

We're going to DISNEY!

Incredibly, after the 2008 sweep at the US National Championships, the Youth Teams have been asked to attend the inaugural Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival being held at the Walt Disney World Resorts as guests of the event and Disney! This Festival was held October 18, 2008 on Village Lake in Downtown Disney.

Disney honored the Youth Teams that weekend in the famous Main Street Parade held in the Magic Kingdom along with a private photo session with the characters!

What an awesome opportunity for these kids and they deserved every bit of it!

A special thanks to Disney and to Great White North Dragon Boat for their support of the Manayunk Youth Dragon Boat Racing Team - Team USA!

During the Spring of 2008 we launched our youth program with the assistance of Kay Sykora of the Schuylkill Project and Mike Rose of the Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant. Our primary objective was to introduce youth to a natural resource within Philadelphia, the Schuylkill River, while instilling good principals of sportsmanship, camaraderie and good health.

We did this and more! In the team's first year, the Manayunk Youth Dragon Boat Racing Team won Gold in the Youth Open, Youth Mixed and Youth Women divisions at the 2008 National Championships in Long Beach, California this past July! Kids from across the country came and joined the Manayunk Kids to race. Kids came from Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New York, Oregon and Hawaii.

A special thanks to the Wassabi Paddling Club in Portland, Oregon for having their Youth program join forces with ours to make all this a success! The Youth Women's Team raced as the Wassabi Team.

As National Champions, these kids have earned a place on Team USA for the 2009 World Championships being held in Prague, Check Republic next August. Congratulations Team!

The Youth Team needs YOUR help! Unfortunately, it cost money to get these kids to the World Championships and Disney and they need your help. Please help the kids get to Prague next year and Disney this year so they can have experiences of a lifetime! If you are interested in helping out the Youth Program, please fill in the information below in order to contact Coach Blundetto. Thanks for the help!

With open water, the Youth Open clinch GOLD!

Youth Team getting ready to race again

Out of the boat after one final - in for the next!

Back to back races set the stage for the youth.

Mike, Ashley and Brittany Blundetto in the front.

Brittany called the races of her life! Great JOB!

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