09/21/2026
Yesterday at Mercer, Ellen Law, President of Eastern Regional Dragon Boat Association inducted PFP’s own Betty Solley into the ERDBA Hall of Fame. Races were still going on - so Ellen’s voice (even with a megaphone) was competing with the announcer’s during the presentation. Here are excerpts from Betty’s induction ceremony yesterday:
Athletic achievement: Betty has been a driving force in the dragon boat community for over two decades, combining athletic excellence, coaching brilliance, and visionary
leadership. Her contributions extend across every pillar of the Hall of Fame’s mission—
athletic achievement, athlete development, governance, community outreach, and
sustained lifetime impact.
Coaching and Athlete Development: Betty began her dragon boating journey as a paddler, quickly distinguishing herself through
her relentless work ethic, technical skill, and ability to lead from within the boat. She
competed at a consistently high level, representing Philadelphia Flying Phoenix (PFP) with distinction in ERDBA races, as well as other regional, national and international
competitions. Her commitment to excellence inspired teammates and set the standard for
discipline and resilience across the club.
Betty’s most enduring contributions come through her work as a coach and mentor. She
has dedicated countless hours to developing athletes at all levels, with her greatest
coaching impact on Philadelphia Flying Phoenix (PFP) and Against the Wind (ATW),
PFP’s breast cancer paddler crew. Through her guidance, both teams grew in
competitiveness, skill, and spirit, earning a reputation for unity and excellence.
She also served as coach of the Fairmount Park Commodores, where she elevated the
team’s performance each season and mentored countless new paddlers with her
trademark patience and dedication. Earlier in her career, Betty also coached Belle Bateau
for several years, once again blending technical rigor with her unique ability to inspire
loyalty and teamwork.
Leadership & Governance: As President of Philadelphia Flying Phoenix, Betty provided steady leadership that
strengthened the club’s structure, expanded membership, and ensured lasting success.
She guided the club through growth and change while maintaining its competitive edge and
welcoming culture. Beyond her club, Betty took on national and international leadership as Membership Director of the International Breast Cancer Paddler’s Commission (IBCPC) and as a key BCS leader within the United States Dragon Boat Federation (USDBF). Her leadership was
instrumental in building communication, collaboration, and visibility for breast cancer
paddling programs:
• Established the first U.S. BCS Leadership Committee within USDBF and IBCPC,
giving BCS teams a strong, unified voice.
• Enhanced communication among U.S. BCS teams by creating dedicated regional
WhatsApp groups (including one for ERDBA), ensuring paddlers and leaders could
connect, share resources, and support one another.
• Encouraged inclusion of BCS divisions at races and festivals by creating direct
channels for organizers and teams to coordinate.
• Created a BCS web page on the USDBF website to raise awareness, highlight
teams, and promote events.
• Expanded international connections by launching a WhatsApp group for global
communication around the IBCPC Participatory Dragon Boat Festival, held every
four years. These initiatives transformed communication, outreach, and organizational visibility for breast cancer survivor paddling.
During Betty’s tenure, IBCPC membership grew
dramatically—from 190 BCS teams in 19 countries in 2018 to more than 400 teams across 41 countries today. This expansion reflects Betty’s vision, diligence, and ability to connect paddlers worldwide.
Contribution to Growth of the Sport:
Few individuals have done as much as Betty to bring dragon boating to new communities:
• Healthy Dragons: Betty orchestrated and coached this inner-city youth program,
securing permits, organizing logistics, and leading countless on-water sessions. She
introduced hundreds of children to the river. As a former physical education teacher,
she naturally connected with young athletes, inspiring many to embrace fitness,
teamwork, and the outdoors.
• School & youth programs: She led Main Line School Night outings on the river,
and also guided Haverford School middle school boys through team-building
dragon boat sessions, teaching resilience, cooperation, and respect.
• Ride the Dragon: Betty organized and coached these community-invitation training
events, transforming groups of novices into synchronized paddlers by the end of
each session. Each of these initiatives reflects Betty’s conviction that dragon boating should be both competitive and inclusive, a sport for all ages and backgrounds.
Lifetime Impact:
The breadth of Betty’s service illustrates a lifetime of sustained dedication. She has
paddled, coached, organized, and led with unmatched passion and energy. Her work with
PFP and ATW strengthened those teams immeasurably, while her coaching of the
Commodores, Belle Bateau, and numerous community programs expanded dragon
boating’s reach across the region.
Her global leadership at IBCPC demonstrated that her influence extended far beyond
Philadelphia. She helped shape the international breast cancer paddling movement and, in
doing so, created opportunities for thousands of survivors to heal, compete, and find
community on the water.
Equally important, Betty has served as a mentor to other leaders in the dragon boat world. Colleagues continue to describe her as a trusted advisor, someone who generously shares
her wisdom, insights, and experience. As one mentee put it: “I have the privilege of carrying
the torch she lit and am grateful that she is still willing to be there for me with her
knowledge and support.”
————
From all of us at PFP, we are so grateful for all of the ways Betty Solley has touched our lives as people and paddlers through her leadership, coaching, wisdom and care.
Congratulations Betty on this incredible honor and recognition!
