August 22, 2008 5:29 PM

Off the Clock: What Floats Her Boat

Posted by Kirstin Maguire

Reformed desk jockey: Gwyneth McAlpine

On the Clock: Corporate governance and transactions associate

Off the Clock: Dragon boat racer

Attraction to racing: "Lawyers are naturally competitive."

When Gwyneth McAlpine was an associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the young lawyer participated in few activities outside the office.

"I can't say I had great balance in my life," she admits.

But that changed in 2004, when McAlpine left Palo Alto for Portland and a new gig at Perkins Coie. Shortly after arriving in the city, McAlpine joined the legal networking group Oregon Women Lawyers. She was intrigued by the organization's dragon boat racing team, the Dragonflies, and by the vessels they compete in--heavy, wooden boats painted to look like dragons, with decorative heads on the front.

"I thought, 'That looks like fun,'" says the corporate lawyer. It wasn't long before she signed on with the team.

Today, McAlpine, 37, is a four-year Dragonfly veteran. Dragon boat racing, she's found, is not only a good form of exercise, but a nice way to engage with the natural beauty that surrounds her, and to escape from the daily grind.

"You just completely unplug from any of your worries about things going on at work. It's a beautiful setting on the river with wildlife all around," she says.

The Dragonflies--which date back to 1995--practice three times a week for a total of four hours in season (May to September), preparing for four to six races. Often, the competition plays out right on Portland's Willamette River; other times, the team travels throughout the Pacific Northwest for the events.

The racing team is comprised of 16-20 people paddling as fast as they can for about 500 meters. McAlpine's only prior rowing experience lasted for two months early on as an undergraduate at UC-Berkeley. "I think it got to midterms and something had to give," she says.

The temptation to stay desk-bound is easier to resist today.

"It's a great activity, particularly because of the camaraderie of the team," she says. "And the competitive-type sport is complementary to the legal practice."

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