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News from Chemo Savvy, Canada

We had our first local Dragon Boat Festival of the season!We entered three boats of paddlers!We had an amazing presence at this festival!...

News from Germany

Drachenbootfestival Hannover brings PINK DRAGONS together.The team Pink Fusion started as a racing community of pink teams from the Western area of Germany, that is Koblenz, Limburg, Heilbronn, and Aschaffenburg.When we started the first race of the competition on Saturday, the team came together in a boat for the first time. Nobody knew how the team would synchronize.Then the start sign was given, and the team had a good first race, being in second position already. It was wonderful to see how ...

News from Ireland

Regatta PreparationsCork Dragons are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and holding a Rebel Regatta on Saturday 2nd September in the city. It promises to be a fabulous day of fun and competition and friendships made and renewed.Plurabelle Paddlers are in the final stages of preparation for the forthcoming EDBF Ravenna competitions in September and have entered 2 teams in the competition. They will be joined by Carlow Dragons in representing Ireland at the competition.Remembering Julie ...

News from Sistership, Canada

To celebrate our 25th Anniversary of paddling after breast cancer we launched a TikTok channel and a LinkedIn page.http://www.linkedin.com/in/sistership-dragonboat-assosciation-25-years-stronghttps://www.tiktok.com/@sistershipdbI am a rookie paddler, just fresh from my journey with cancer and I can say that paddling with this team in this sport has changed my life. It keeps healing. We are fierce and we have a fabulous message.Take good care,Paddles Up!Hope to hear from you!JenNews from Sistersh...

News from the WonderBroads

The WonderBroads of Windsor and Essex County celebrated their 20-year anniversary with a party on July 8th.All team members, supporters and contributors to the team were invited to join in the festivities.We had our dragon boat at the site and started by having some of our new members and our Coach dot the eyes of the dragon.Our Assistant Coach and a founding member, Peggy Hurley, along with a few other founding members spoke about our early beginnings and our 20-year journey as a team.We rememb...

Oxford Paddlers for Life

Oxford Paddlers for Life welcomed and thanked Wendy Grose as guest helm to run some paddling sessions for them in August.Thursday 17th August - an evening paddleThursday 24th August - an evening paddlePaddling was of course dependent on the weather.Oxford Paddlers for Life are still organising dates for the September sessions, but there is one confirmed session on Saturday 16th September at 9.30 am with David Coldwell as guest helm. So, if you are in the area then, be sure to pop in to say hi.Wi...

Reach for Recovery (Australia)

There are many organisations that support breast cancer survivors. This is one of them and may be of interest to people.I am the President of Reach to Recovery International (RRI), which serves as an umbrella organisation for other organisations and individuals working in their own countries and communities to improve the quality of life of individuals affected by breast cancer including families. We do this through peer support, advocacy, and peer navigation.We have members throughout the world...

Update from The Bahamas

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Updates from Around the Globe

News from CanadaCanadian Dragon Boat Championships - July 20-24, 2023, Welland, Ontario, Canada.IBCPC Board Member and Rowbust Team Captain Perspective - Linda KuskaI first must CONGRATULATE all the BCS teams who came to the 2023 Canadian Dragon Boat Championships! It was a very exciting few days of racing and for many of you, the first time competing at Nationals!BCS Standard Boat Division:Canal Dragons Hope Floats - Welland, OntarioDragons Abreast - Toronto, OntarioH2O Seincr'eau - Montreal, Q...

Updates from Brazil

The “Encontro Estadual de Remadoras Rosa do Paraná”, which took place on April 13, 14 and 15, 2023, in Curitiba city, only became possible and viable due to the commitment and responsibility of the leader’s team of the ROSA DOS VENTOS (Londrina city), FLOR DE LOTUS (Foz do Iguaçu citu) and CANOHÁ (Curitiba city).The teams from the state of Paraná met in advance, virtually, and made a commitment to hold this event, with the following objective: to build a solid foundation for training D...

Updates from Europe

Go Europe Pink Dragons 1st edition or: Teamwork to make a (COVID) dream come true.Let´s go back in time… Don´t we all remember the year 2020 when many countries didn't allow meeting in person due to the pandemic? When people were restricted to staying at home? These times of lockdown were the beginning of a dream, and this dream has become reality 3 years later with a composite team of pink paddlers united from various European teams supported by some pink friends from Israel and the US.When...

Updates from Latin and South America

Rosas Del PlataCELEBRATION IN PINKby Matilde Yahni, IBCPC National Representative to ArgentinaThe members of Rosa Del Plata don’t need an excuse to party. Our Argentine team of 55 paddlers love delicious food, good music, dancing, and any reason to bring the team together. A group of ladies on our team volunteered to form our “birthday celebration committee”, and they work hard to surprise our 55 BCS pink paddlers at every event with special guests and treats. They invite musicians: jazz s...

Waves of Hope

Waves Of Hope had an official ribbon cutting for our sign at Minnedosa Lake in Minnedosa, Manitoba where we practice.We are sure we have the biggest pink sign around. SSome gals travel 2 hours to practice.We hope this will catch everyone’s eye and aid in our recruitment efforts!!!...

Congress (part 1)

Speech for Congress opening, 14th May 2023Nau mai, haere mai. Tena kotou katoaWelcome to you all.I would like to acknowledge Paula Southgate, Mayor Hamilton, for her welcomeAlso, to acknowledge our three keynote speakers:Professor Ian CampbellLady Tureti MoxonAssociate Professor Logan Walker.Also, here with us today we have European Dragon Boat Federation President and IDBF 4th Vice President Claudio Schermi.And two doctors traveling with the UGO team from Italy.We are so excited to see the repr...

Congress (part 2)

Meri's Speech for Congress opening, 14th May 2023 (continued)I would like to thank our keynote speakers with a small gift of appreciation for sharing your incredible skills and knowledge with us all today.Everyone please show your appreciation in the usual way.Andrew Watson, our health and safety director and himself a medical professional will escort our keynotes out as we move onto the Congress business at hand.Elections I am disappointed that of the over 15,000 paddlers globally that we only ...

Festival 2023

Submitted by Meri GibsonTo recap on the festival, my speech notes for all occasions at which I had the privilege to speak are in the following articles:Meet and Greet EveningCongress OpeningFestival 2023 OpeningFestival 2023 ClosingHere are the videos from the Dragon Boat Festival.Highlights of the 4 days of the Festival Event...

Festival Opening

Welcome Speech for the Festival Opening, 14th April 2023Tena koutou , tena koutou, Tena koutou Katoa.Ko Meri Gibson Taku ingoa,ko kaiwhakahaere International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission,ko kaiwhakahaere Aotearoa Wahine Toa Ora Trust,Ko Aoraki te Maunga, ko Waimakariri te awa, no Otautahi ahau, ki uta ki tai.No reira, kia ora, huihui mai tatouThank you, Richard, for the introduction. I am Meri Gibson, the President of the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission, and the Chair of Aot...

From the desk of the President

From the Desk of Meri Gibson, IBCPC Global President.Oh, my goodness…….wow, wow, and wow.That is all I can say in terms of how amazing the festival in New Zealand was. I know I am biased as it was in my home country, and I know I was behind the bid to bring the festival to New Zealand. but I also know how hard everyone worked from the day the bid was placed to when we won the bid and then the planning began.Each moment of each day was inspirational regardless of what was on offer. The spirit...

Meet and Greet Evening

Speech for Meet and Greet evening, 14th April 2023Tena koutou, Tena Koutou, Tena KoutouKo Meri Gibson taku ingoa, ko kaiwhakahaere International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission. Ko Kaiwhakahaere Aotearoa Wahine Toa Ora Trust.Nor reira kia Ora hui hui my tatou.Oh, my goodness how wonderful to see you all here tonight.The purpose of this evening is to give you the opportunity to mix and mingle, to catch up with old friends, make new friends, create memories.The formalities will begin tomorrow wi...

40 Reason Why "Exercise is Medicine"

40 Reasons Why Dragon Boat Paddling is Brilliant for Breast Cancer Survivors.From Vancouver Island Dragon Boat teams.I want to share my 40 reasons why dragon boat paddling is brilliant, especially after a breast cancer diagnosis:It’s great for improving range of movement at the shoulderIt’s great for improving general fitnessIt’s great for improving strengthIt’s great for improving flexibilityIt’s great for improving core stabilityIt’s great for improving coordinationIt’s great for...

Ambassadors Make The Festival Incredibly Special

Article from the Ambassadors.“I just wanted to say that the ambassador who hosted 49 for a BBQ in Cambridge has asked the team he hosted donate to Waikato Treasure Chests (WTC) instead of paying him. WTC team continues to visit the lady from the USA in hospital and this week supplied her with summer dresses etc and of course they hosted Argentina and so many who were non-BC were ambassadors so they deserve the donation.”“Cheers Colleen, it was great to be a part of it, something that I wil...

Beauty of the Composite Team

Submitted by Clare Purcell, Dragons Abreast Canberra, Canberra, AustraliaDragons Abreast Canberra (DAC) from Australia have settled back into regular life in Canberra following the IBCPC Festival in New Zealand. Winter is almost upon us; we are paddling in fog, and we are telling our stories about our adventures both at the festival and our travels following.The festival in New Zealand was amazing throughout. From day one we had a ball.If feels that planning for DAC to go to the festival began a...

Billeting Festival Attendees

My name is Elaine Brown from The Waikato Treasure Chests team in Hamilton, New Zealand.When we were asked if anyone would like to host someone from the Argentinian team, I immediately thought this would be a great experience for my family. My young children were very excited to meet someone from Argentina, especially someone who speaks another language.We hosted Matilde Yahni, Captain of the Rosas del Plata team. Matilde arrived with great enthusiasm and made us an Argentinian dessert, Dulce de ...

Festival Closing

Closing ceremony speech, Sunday 16th April 2023Several you have asked me what pretty dress I would be wearing for the closing. Trust me I do have a few with me to choose from, BUT as I have said all along, first and foremost I am a paddler, so paddling gear it is.Oh, my goodness…….wow, wow, and wow.That is all I can say in terms of how amazing this festival in New Zealand has been.I know I am biased as it was in my home country, and I know I was behind the bid to bring the festival to New Ze...

Global Friendships

Submitted by Matilde Yahni“Come on, girls, time to race“, “Allons-y copines“, “Andiamo ragazze a la gara”, “Vamos chicas, nos toca correr“. These multi-lingual cheers filled the Pink Hope Across Border’s tent, empowering the BCS paddlers from 5 different countries, who participated in the recent festival. Before the festival, bonds were forged in a public WhatsApp chat, that previewed the unforgettable fun days ahead in Lake Karapiro.The Dragon Boat Festival organized by New Ze...