Who we Are
The Valkyrie Dragons was established in early 2023 to provide Rhode Island with a COMPETITIVE women’s dragon boat team. The team accepts all who identify as women regardless of age and experience, UNITED by our commitment to each other and our shared love of DRAGON BOATING, we continuously demonstrate the power of women when we all PULL TOGETHER.
Board of directors
Marissa Piedra (Director)
Marissa is born and raised in Warwick, RI, currently residing in Cranston. She’s moved around the country and world, but is happy to be back in the Ocean State. Growing up she played multiple competitive sports, and dragon boat racing brings out her competitive spirit while connecting her to a great group of strong women.
Stephanie Lietz (Assistant Director)
Stephanie was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and went to college in Philadelphia, PA. When she drove on Kelly Drive and saw Boat House Row, she knew she missed her calling on the water. Rowing wasn’t the right community, so she gave Dragon Boating a try. She immediately fell in love with the community and the mental and physical challenge. Her family was happy she found a heathy outlet for her competitive nature. Stephanie has been on the team since its first year. Stephanie currently resides in Warwick with her two daughters and husband. Off water, she enjoys reading, shopping, and sleeping.
Melissa Romano (Treasurer)
Melissa was born and raised in Providence, RI, currently residing in Riverside with her
two amazing sons. She has always had a great love for animals and the water. She
was introduced to Dragon Boating in 2023 and became enamored with the sport, which
provides not only the opportunity to explore new waterways of Rhode Island, but also
worldwide. Melissa obtained a Bachelor’s degree while majoring in accounting at Bryant University. When not engaged in Valkyrie activities, Melissa loves to travel, snuggle her
cats, and celebrate life. YOLO!
Alison MacDonald (Clerk)
Alison is originally from Toronto, Ontario and emigrated to the US with her family as a young child. She returned to Canada as a teenager to attend a canoe tripping camp. During these
formative years she paddled and portaged through Algonquin Park and beyond. This experience instilled a lifelong love of paddling and the outdoors.
When Alison met the Valkyrie Dragons in 2025, she was thrilled to not only discover a new style
of paddling but also a welcoming, inclusive group of strong women. She is committed to helping
the team thrive.
When she’s not paddling, Alison is a practicing anesthesiologist, the proud mom of two adult
children, a dedicated black line swimmer, and a voracious reader.
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