Dragon Boating for Breast Cancer Survivors

Salfeldi · June 2021

Dear All,

I just wrote a big paragraph, but it just disappeared. So I'll keep this brief. I've been through a lot since 2013 and now have MBC. I wanted to introduce to you Dragon Boating. I joined a group of breast cancer survivors as a founding member in 2016. I live in Champaign, Illinois (We are the only survivor's group) and practice twice a week at beautiful Homer Lake, Illinois. The boat is around 42 feet long with 10 seats (2 paddlers a seat) and a Caller with a drum up front and a Steerer with a single long paddle at the back. A Canadian doctor recommended boating for breast cancer survivors. We are different ages and stages. We race in different venues, but mainly Chicago, Indiana, and Kentucky. Of course Covid wiped out our 2020 season. It is a great sport and I even have medals! If you are looking to join an active group that includes exercise, do some research and I'm sure you will find a group in your state. Usually you can try out to see if you like it. You can really get hooked. In 2022 our team is going to New Zealand to the Internationals. I was born in NZ so I have this as a goal to survive for and to see my family. My team is called Prairie Dragon Paddlers. We also have raised much money for cancer research. We also have some fantastic sponsors. Yes, you might wonder if you have the energy... but I find it invigorates me. Makes me feel like a warrior! I welcome any questions.

2019whatayear · June 2021

this is fascinating! Are you competing in the Chicago area this summer

Salfeldi · June 2021

Hi! We usually compete in Chicago (Stay in Arlington - last weekend of July) but Covid shut it down last year and now just recently it was announced it will not be happening this year either. We have medals for 1st ( No Indiana boats), 2nd, and 3rd from Chicago in the breast cancer division. Indy has three boats and we consider them our other sisters. We are competitive on the lake or river, but friends off the boat. It is a lot of fun. We do work on being fit, but we are all shapes and sizes. Boats and Steerers are provided to make it fair at the races. It's quite a business. Thanks for commenting.

Rah2464 · June 2021

We fielded a team from our cancer patient/caregiver yoga class in 2019 to race in Kentucky. It was a truly wonderful experience and I enjoyed it immensely. So jealous of that 2022 trip to New Zealand to race

DutchieGirl · June 2021

I’m part of a BC survivors team here in Hamilton, Ontario,Canada. I haven’t had the opportunity to get in a boat yet because of the pandemic. But we do Zoom workouts and meet for socially distanced walks etc. The story behind breast cancer dragonboating is a fascinating one. It was started in Vancouver, Canada as a study to see if this kind of movement would have an impact on lymphedema. The thinking at the time was that restricted movements were better. It turned out that no one’s lymphedema got worse and, in fact, some had improvement. I will say that, even though I’m new, the camaraderie and bond these women share is heart warming.I’m proud to be paddling with such amazing women!

Salfeldi · June 2021

Hello! I wonder if we were in the same place as our team attended the 2019 races. Erlinger? We were there in 2016, and then 2017 was a bit of a mess in organization so we didn't return until 2019. It was excellent. Dragon racing brings out the fighting spirit we cancer survivors possess! Racing brings a sense of power over our sometimes powerless conditions. I also love hanging out with some wonderful women - thought of as sisters.

Salfeldi · June 2021

Canada. How wonderful to hear from you. You expressed very well the background of dragon racing for cancer survivors. I left a lot of that out to reduce the reading amount. I've been to Ontario - beautiful. We have raced against some wonderful Canadian teams in Chicago, Illinois. It was a trip to Canada and a survivor dragon race community our founding leader came back from to inspire the creation of our team. We bought a second hand boat from Indy and launched in 2016. And, yes, the camaraderie IS amazing. The dragon boat community is very welcoming. I joined not knowing any of the women. Home support or not, it is an amazing way to meet others. Aside, we can talk about our challenges, but in the boat we work in sync to achieve a common goal to master the sport and enjoy the wonderful wild environment of our beautiful lake. I am so glad you have joined such a group. Enjoy! Alas some of our members are excluded from being IN the boat as we are only accepting on the boat vaccinated members. We use Team Snap with a pre-practice health check. We started practicing at the end of April.

DutchieGirl · June 2021

salfeldi, hope we can meet one day! We are slated for New Zealand in 2023 and we will probably be going to Sarasota again next year

Rah2464 · June 2021

Salfeldi - I am guessing we crossed paths in 2019 and didn't know it! Hmmm, maybe I will have to head north to dragonboat

Salfeldi · June 2021

Wonderful! We are struggling to get our numbers up for New Zealand. Alas we had some members get very upset about our requirements to be in the boat and so they withdrew. High chance we will need a Covid vaccination card for New Zealand - perhaps. We just added some great newbies so with time we might be able to build up our numbers. We have time, but I was thinking we had to reregister by this October. Not sure.

Salfeldi · June 2021

Yep. Looks like we were both there. I hope we get to race there this season.

Salfeldi · June 2021

Hi again Canada -- Yes you are right, New Zealand was moved to 2023 because of Covid. When I told my doctor he didn't say a word. That made me feel a little fearful, but I'm determined to make it. I'm excited to meet so many wonderful people and enjoy staying in Rotorua, a place I know well. I plan on having a New Zealand evening for my teammates. We will make poi's and dance, and I'll try the marmite challenge.

Dragon Boating for Breast Cancer Survivors

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