Our Beginnings
It all started in November 2001 with a telephone call….. A number of women were sitting at a support group meeting discussing their full-time return to the workplace after finishing their breast cancer treatments. The talk turned to what we once thought of as “our normal lives”, and that we must not forget to live and enjoy each day – taking nothing for granted. “Don’t put things off.” “Don’t be scared to try new things.” That’s when someone mentioned dragon boat teams – some ladies were familiar with these graceful looking boats; others were not. We heard that the nearest dragon boat team to our community was over an hours drive away, and the practice times were not conducive to those who worked “9 to 5” jobs. It was mentioned that there were four retired women from the valley who were part of this mid-Vancouver Island team. They had tried years earlier to get a team started locally, but were not able to raise enough interest. Well, we had enough interest in our support group alone to fill almost half a boat!
A call was placed to one of these four paddlers to see how we would go about starting our own team. Within a couple of weeks, a room full of women from the communities of Comox, Courtenay, Black Creek, Merville, Campbell River, Royston, Union Bay and Fanny Bay huddled together to watch some video footage and hear what it would take to get started. The rest is history! Within five short months, the founding members of “Hope Afloat Canada” had raised enough money, through the generous support of Comox Valley businesses, service clubs, individual donations and team fundraising events to purchase a dragon boat (complete with drum and drummer’s seat), paddles and life jackets. We were off to the races!
Oh, the excitement on the day of delivery! Some team members had never even seen a dragon boat, never mind sit in one. Much to the amusement of our wonderful and very experienced coach, we managed to paddle the new dragon boat from the launch to its permanent residence at the Comox Marina. We immediately gifted the boat to the Comox Valley Recreation Commission who agreed to make it available to other groups and individuals interested in learning this wonderful sport of dragon boating. There are now a number of teams (women and mixed) in the beautiful Comox Valley, as well as another breast cancer survivor team in Campbell River.
History Of Breast Cancer Dragon Boating
In 1986, the Chinese delegation of Expo ‘86 gifted Vancouver, BC with six teak dragon boats. In 1996, Dr. Don McKenzie from the University of British Columbia, in conjunction with physiotherapist and breast cancer survivor, Dr. Susan Harris, formed the first breast cancer survivor dragon boat team in Vancouver.
It was their intent to prove that upper body exercise has a large role in the recovery from breast cancer and lymphedema because it can improve range of motion, reverse muscle atrophy, stimulate the immune system and activate the skeletal muscle. Previously, women were told not to exercise after breast surgery. Since 1996, dragon boating has grown to be an international sport with breast cancer survivor teams being an important part of each festival.
The only criteria for becoming a member of a breast cancer survivor team is having had a history of breast cancer. Age, athletic ability and paddling experience are not a consideration. The frequency, duration and intensity of water training varies with each team and each training program usually includes some form of strengthening and stretching exercises off the water as well. Every team competes to the best of their ability with various levels of technical skill but always with incredible energy, enthusiasm and emotion. The acceptance of these teams is overwhelming at dragon boat festivals all over the world where teams with superior athletic ability are usually the norm.
The sport creates an incredible feeling of harmony and togetherness and most certainly has improved the quality of life of each team member both physically and mentally.
