Dragon Boat racing has its origins in China in the fourth century B.C. Traditionally, women were excluded because it was believed they brought bad luck. In the summer of 1990, 22 Vancouver women stepped into one of the ungainly wooden boats to challenge history and tradition. They are "Genesis I," the first all Chinese-Canadian women's team to compete in Vancouver's International Dragon Boat Festival. Awakening the Dragons is their unique story. Against the backdrop of gruelling practices and the race festivities, team members talk about what it means to be in an all-Chinese women's team and why they won't give up their dream of racing, despite the odds against them.
