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14th IDBF CCWC 2024

The International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) and the Italian Dragon Boat Federation (FIDB), cordially invite all crews from clubs affiliated to IDBF Members to participate in the 14th IDBF Club Crew World Championships (CCWC) in Ravenna, Italy from the 3rd to the 8th of September 2024. Key dates:IDBF registration system opens - 15 January 2024Provisional entries close - 18 February 2024 Confirmed entries close - 18 May 2024Final team names submission - 30 June 2024...

New Constellation

Submitted by Mariana Fernandez Semhan and Mathilda YahniSaben una cosa, cuando miro al agua, automáticamente miro al cielo y me pregunto: ¿el cielo quiere ostentar una nueva constelación al agua o el agua se ondula insistente para llamar la atención del cielo? Cielo, agua, agua, cielo.Como sea, en este ritual entre el agua y el cielo existe un lugar sagrado. Una constelación perdida sin nombre. Un lugar festivo y caudaloso. Un sitio bullicioso custodiado por un dragón, donde se reúnen un ...

Hurricane Paradragons

Submitted by Wendy GroseNew team on view from your flight to London!Introducing the Hurricane Paragons DBC from Staines, London a couple of miles south of Heathrow airport.We are a newish team that paddle at Silver Lakes under the flight path of Heathrow airport, our training often gets interrupted as we can’t hear our coach from the noise of the planes taking off from the airport. The lovely lake is owned by British Airways and we have the benefits of a lovely club house where we have club su...

Manchester Dragoneers

Submitted by Karen Birch...

Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival

Submitted by: Michelle Thornton, Survivors Abreast member and Festival Chair.Making a Difference, One Race at a Time2023 was a record-breaking year for Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival. Last October we celebrated the single largest donation in Festival history with a cheque for $290,025.18 going towards equipment to screen, diagnose and treat breast and other cancers at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC). We also reached a significant milestone in 2023, as we surpassed the $4 mill...

Kit Mitsuoka

Twenty years after her breast cancer diagnosis, Kit Mitsuoka is paddling strong, and inspiring others to experience the power of the dragon…including her granddaughter Kailey!“Dragon boating is therapy for me,” said Kit. After her breast cancer diagnosis in 2003, Kit had 20 nodes removed; her arm was always sore, to the point she sometimes couldn’t lift a coffee cup. Then in 2008, her neighbor in Morro Bay, California, Jeanne L’Amoreaux, invited her to paddle with a new dragon boat tea...

News from Croatia

Submitted by Dubravka Karlovic-Babic, BUBA, president and IBCPC Croatia National RepThe Croatian team (Dragonboat Klub Zadar DBKZ or as we call ourselves Zmajke) had its last water training on November 4th, 2023. Due to inclement sea conditions we decided to take our boats out of the lagoon where we paddle onto the dry land.Luckily, we have free access to the community gym thanks to the city of Zadar department for sports. Hence, we started our dryland /gym training at the beginning of November ...

Auckland Anniversary Day

Submitted by Katherine Waller Monday, January 29th, 2024, the Auckland Viaduct basin came alive with the vibrant sights and sounds of dragon boat racing as part of the 184th Oceanbridge Auckland Anniversary Day regatta celebrations. There was a lot of excitement being able to get on the water for this event due to the last 3 years being canceled due to Covid and the horrendous weather bomb that hit us last year causing devastating flooding across the city and wider areas.Cindy, one of our m...

News from Ireland

Words by Clodagh Flynn and Marion EganA composite team with members from Medb’s Dragon Warriors, Gráine Mhaol Dragons and Nore Dragon Paddlers were on their first adventure of 2024 at the Snow Dragon Festival in France recently. The event involves paddling a 12 crew DB on skis down a slope and across the flat to the finish line. A prestigious event with the President of the IDBF, Chinese Ambassador to France, Sylvain Munier of Dragon Boat Attitude and other dignitaries taking part in the open...

Pendragons Abreast, Perth

Submitted by Rose Glassock - Registered Psychologist on behalf of Pendragons Abreast, Penrith – Australia. Dragon boating is good for our mental health!         Positive Psychology can explain why ……Pendragons Abreast, were given the opportunity, as a part of Breast Cancer awareness month to speak at a local physiotherapy and health clinic about the benefits of dragon boating. As a psychologist I thought it would be interesting to discuss the be...

Catch-22 Ospreys

Submitted by Paula ZellarsThe Catch-22 Ospreys breast cancer team, located in Vancouver, Washington, recently came together for a lovely French repas-partage as they excitedly began preparing for the IBCPC regatta in Aix-les-Bains.The dinner was held in the lovely home of one of our teammates with the host and hostess looking very chic in their berets.  The atmosphere was quite French with swags of the French triclore on the windows and blue, white, and red napkins and plates in addition to...

Chemo Savvy

Submitted by Brenda Millan (Chemo Savvy)Celebrating off the Water2023 was a very busy year for Chemo Savvy. We had a much-awaited clinic with Kamini Jain in the spring. Two local festivals (in Winnipeg), a bus trip to Bemidji, Minnesota (got to hang out with a wonderful local BCS team), and a pre-pandemic planned trip to Montreal for the Quebec Cup.As a team we like to party and are known for our dance parties (even on zoom if necessary). This December we got together to celebrate the holidays a...

Chile

Submitted by Paula FariasIn Chile we have worked tirelessly to achieve our dreams.  Today we have 16 teams that have started with almost nothing, only the desire to rehabilitate ourselves by practicing this sport.One of the dreams we had for years with the founder of the pink movement in Chile, Monica Hernandez, was the realization of a Dragon Boat Festival, where we could bring together the ancient Chinese traditions with our sporting activities.Our love and commitment for what we do is be...

KC Dragon Boat Festival

In 2019, the KC Pink Warriors started up in Kansas and Missouri, where no other dragon boat teams existed and dragon boat racing was almost unknown. After watching BCP teams worldwide, Kansas City female cancer survivors gathered, trained and built a team with the promise of a sport and community that would transform their lives. Five years later, with 15 festivals under our belt, we are ready to welcome the dragon boat world to Kansas City!GWN and the KC Pink Warriors are proud to present the i...

Prince Salty

Submitted by: Heike Auel, Ladybugs GermanyLadybugs Germany: A pink tractor to support early diagnosis of breast cancerThe Ladybugs have celebrated a very special ‘pink’ event. And when I say ‘special’, that’s saying something, because … the Ladybugs, a German pink paddling team located near Dortmund, have already achieved a lot of special things. One of it: Publishing, "Are you ready? Attention! Go!", a book about pink paddling and the Ladybugs.This time, just a few days before Chris...

Dragon Strong

Respectfully submitted by Ellen Jacobs, DCD Group Fitness InstructorThe Derby City Dragons staying Dragon Strong during the off-seasonLouisville, Kentucky’s Derby City Dragons are staying Dragon Strong during the off-season with workouts available via zoom and in-person at several community partner venues including Gilda’s Club, The Thrive Center, Anchorage Presbyterian Church and when the weather permits, the Louisville Community boathouse.Our team has 3 certified fitness instructors. Ellen...

Dragons Abreast Tasmania Hobart

Written and submitted by Sonja Preston, member of DATHFun, Fitness and Friendship in Tasmania, AustraliaDragons Abreast Tasmania Hobart (DATH) was the first dragon boating club in Tasmania. Now there are seven clubs.  Tasmania is a small island with a big heart, 455km off the south east coast of Australia.We’ve come a long way in the past 21 years from when a small group of breast cancer survivors decided to start a club. For the first 12 months (while waiting to get a boat) they practise...

President's Report

Submitted by Meri GibsonWell, it has been another amazing three months since our last newsletter.We are lucky in New Zealand now as we right in the heart of the dragon boat season and everybody has some great regattas to attend. I have through injury been ordered by my surgeon completely out for the season, but I am living my life for vicariously by going to as many events as I can to cheer on my team and other teams.I was fortunate enough to go to Hawkes Bay to see the beautiful new boat “Kah...

Pink Dragon Ladies, Tampa Bay

Submitted by Liz O’ConnellThe Pink Dragon Ladies® Celebrate 20 Years of Support Through Sport!Tampa Bay’s Pink Dragon Ladies® are marking their 20th anniversary in 2024! As the first cancer survivor team in Florida, they also celebrate the birth of BCP and ACP dragon boat racing in the state. The Pinks have watched the ripple effect as they share what they’ve learned and see new teams sprout up and then inspire other new teams.The team has good reason to celebrate – according to the IB...

France Bulletin #2

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France Bulletin #3

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From the Desk of the Editor

Submitted by Louise GranahanAs I write this from Canada’s frozen north, it is frustrating to know that it will be many more months before I can get back on the water. In the meantime, I lift weights, do cardio and make plans for France!As your Communications Director, I am responsible for updating the Facebook page, responding to correspondence, editing the newsletter and attending regular IBCPC Board of Directors meetings. The Board meets about once a month. Lately, we have also been working ...

Pink Phoenix Portland

Submitted by Adele Honeyman, Health & Fitness ChairPre-season Fitness Challenge - Pink Phoenix Portland, Oregon USAPink Phoenix Portland Oregon USA has created a simple pre-season Fitness Challenge to encourage the team to get motivated and increase fitness levels and strength in preparation for the upcoming season.Fitness Challenge Goal: Workout for 30 minutes, 3-5 times per week, over a 6-week period.Team members are encouraged to get into the gym or at home and do a workout, which could i...

Panama

Submitted by Floribeth Campos de FinizioGreetings from a beautiful country in Central America, PANAMÁ, a place with amazing landscapes, tropical beauty, and a land of the Pink Warriors PTY Team, since 2019 @pinkwarriorspanamaWe are celebrating Cancer Awareness Prevention Month. As you know, October is one of the most important months in the year, since it represents an opportunity to help other people raise awareness about prevention and early detection. With our testimonies, we work to sha...

From the Desk of the President

Submitted by Meri GibsonWOW, what a few months it has been since we put out our last newsletter. So much has happened that we want to bring you up to speed. You will see in this newsletter, which is now edited by Louise Granahan, our communications director, that there are over 30 articles! It’s just brilliant to see teams so engaged in wanting to be a part of this newsletter and to share their stories.For me personally there has been a lot of travelling, a lot of helping to establish breast c...