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News From Germany

Submitted by Christina (Pink Dragonistas Hannover).The third pink cup was again part of the “Drachenbootfestival Hannover”. For the 28th festival edition on Pentecost weekend, 11 BCS teams colored Lake Maschsee in downtown Hannover pink.This year, we welcomed pink composite teams from different German clubs – some even experienced their first regatta ever. There was also a Go Europe team formed of paddlers from around Europe as well as our dear friends from Denmark, the Copenhagen Dragonbo...

Chemo Daydreaming to Reality

Submitted by Jenny De Grace.Breast cancer took many things away from me, a little under one year ago. It took my breast, it took my job, and it temporarily took away my happiness, like it did most of us. When I was diagnosed, I quickly had surgery, then after some healing, came the dreaded chemo. Chemo was a difficult journey for me. I recognize it now as a gift, but it was a difficult gift. My chemotherapy treatment plan included dose-dense chemo treatments, every two weeks, for a total of 4 mo...

Awakening of the Dragon Boat

Submitted by Karina Maquera.President of the Valientes Señoraza team.In Laja, Bio Bío region, on May 29, 2024, the “Valientes Señoraza” Group had the fortune and great joy of awakening its Dragon called “La Señoraza”, in honor of our majestic Lagoon.For the members of this group, the arrival of the dragon “La Señoraza” is a symbol of magic, strength, abundance, energy, hope, goals, purposes, happiness, security and most importantly rehabilitation and good quality of life.The spi...

Dragons Abreast Blue Mountains

Submitted by Janette Fry, Co-Founder - Dragons Abreast Blue Mountains.Dragons Abreast Blue Mountains is a very new and small Breast Cancer Survivor club in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia approximately 1.5 hours west of Sydney.Recently on July 6th of this year we celebrated our First Birthday and Official Launch Day. We currently have 14 members and are building with several new members ready to join.We paddle on the beautiful and picturesque Wentworth Falls Lake and our Mo...

Editor's Report

I was sitting in the boat on the night of our first practice when I heard someone crying behind me.  I thought that maybe I had splashed too much water or that my reach had encroached in her space.  I turned around and Jenny said, “I dreamed about this during chemo.”  That’s the impact of dragon boating and that’s why we do what we do.  Read more about Jenny’s story in this edition of the newsletter. The registrations for France 2026 are incredible.  This ...

News From Brazil

Submitted by MÁRCIA DENISE IULIANO SOUZA.Drummer da Equipe Meninas do Lago.(English Translation Follows)O PARAJAPS é o maior evento paradesportivo do Estado do Paraná, que envolve atletas de todos os municípios em diversas modalidades esportivas, individuais e coletivas.Em 2023, a disputa em Dragon Boat participou desse evento apenas como demonstração de uma modalidade esportiva e contou com a participação de 3 equipes e quase 70 atletas sobreviventes do câncer de mama. Já em 2024, a m...

News From Spain

Submitted by Anna Fumarola and Alicia Ares de Blas.On Saturday July 6th, the first Breast Cancer Paddlers National Dragon Boat Race 'City of Valladolid ' took place in Spain, in the beautiful city of Valladolid. 14 Spanish teams plus an Irish one participated in this amazing initiative with 150 women paddlers who have suffered or are suffering from breast cancer.The host was the Valladolid team Wallkiria Pisuerga, who generously organised an impeccable event of racing, solidarity and fun where a...

Paddle With A Purpose

By Cindy Crowell.Director of Public Relations.Paddles with a Purpose.Five years ago, in July 2019, a group of remarkable women came together to form Paddles with a Purpose, a Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat team in Austin, Texas. On July 18th they gathered to celebrate their strength, resilience, and the incredible journey they have been on together for the past 5 years.Paddles with a Purpose was founded just before the world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the unprecedented ...

Dragon Divas

The Dragon Divas of Saint Paul, Minnesota were honored last night by the Minnesota Senior Sports Association (MSSA) as their 2024 Team of the Year! The Minnesota Senior Sports Association is dedicated to encouraging and supporting Minnesotans aged 50 and older in their pursuit of competitive athletics.Dragon Divas attended an awards banquet along with other honorees from Minnesota that encompassed sports from Jui Jitsu to pickleball, a former olympian, to an honoree who ran the Boston Marathon ...

Vienna Pink Dragons

Submitted by Svenja Franke-Bruhn.IPCPC National Representative Germany and Country Liaison Austria.The Vienna Pink Dragons were delighted to welcome the Go Europe Pink Dragons crew to the Dragon Boat Cup East in June, held this time in Korneuburg, a picturesque small town near Vienna. For the fourth time, after 2017, 2019, and 2022, they organized a pink-tinted welcome side program around the Dragonboat Cup East.You can read about this festival weekend from the Go Europe Pink Dragons crew's pers...

Abreast In A Boat

In 2025, the Abreast In A Boat Society will proudly celebrate its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of support and inspiration for breast cancer survivors through the unique and empowering sport of dragon boating.AIAB started as a study by Dr Don McKenzie to dispel the myth that repetitive upper body exercise could cause lymphedema. Further studies continue to prove that exercise is medicine, and that physical exercise and camaraderie play a significant role in the healing process followin...

Alps Dragon Boat Races

Report by Svenja Franke Bruhn.IPCPC National Representative Germany and Country Liaison Austria.I've reported on this unique event in the Alps several times before. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2023, it's been known as the highest Dragonboat race in the world. Though it may not hold that title forever, it will undoubtedly remain a beloved destination in Europe.The Vienna Pink Dragons have been regular participants over the years. Initially, they paddled with their supporters, the Vienna D...

Breast Cancer Drug Trials

Submitted by Meri Gibson on behalf of Breast Cancer Research Trust (BCRT), Hamilton, New Zealand. The research team is busy setting up two international clinical trials and an evaluation project. They look forward to making the following studies available to their patients:An international drug trial called the “CAMBRIA-2”. This trial will investigate a new hormone (endocrine) drug called Camizestrant. This will be compared to standard hormone treatment for patients who are high risk for bre...

Anna Fumarola - New National Representative for Spain

Anna Fumarola is originally from Italy and has been living in several countries such as France, Pakistan, Russia, United Kingdom, and mostly in Spain.Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. She discovered Dragon Boat by chance in 2022 when she gave it a try and immediately joined Madridragons, the Dragon Boat team of Alberche Kayak Club in Madrid, where there is an amazing group of breast cancer survivors, who encourage and support each other whenever it is necessary. We are a united team...

Antwerp

The three Belgium Pink Ribbonettes teams from Brussels, Turnhout and Lier joined forces and set up a composite team for the 10th Hong Kong Dragonboat Festival on 8th June in the centre of the Belgium city of Antwerp at the Kattendijkdok.Although the only female and only BCS team in the 21 team strong competition, the Pink Ribbonettes gave a good performance and came 18th ranked. It was the first time that we paddled together in one boat representing all three official languages of Belgium - Fren...

Paddle Palooza

Submitted by Annette Johnson.Attendee and National Representative for USA Western Region.On July 9 and 10th, Silver Lining Montana hosted their 2nd Annual Exercise and Lifestyle Medicine in Oncology Care and Survivorship Conference at the University of Montana. This 2 day session brought together some of the top oncology providers and researchers in the industry to enlighten the cancer community with lifestyle medical tools for those in healthcare, with an emphasis on methods to improve standar...

President's Report

Greetings everybody.It has been a quiet six weeks for me as I have been recovering from shoulder surgery. I am hopeful that this second surgery after my accident last year will finally get me back to being able to paddle as I have really missed it this last season.It has been fantastic watching all the racing going on in the northern hemisphere particularly the inaugural CanAm championships held in Welland, Canada in which several of our breast cancer teams were competing. Brilliant to see Rowbu...

News From Panama

By Floribeth Campos de Finizio.On June 1st and 2nd, in Panama City we had the opportunity to have the 8th Dragon Boat festival with more than 30 teams. In Our Category there were 6 breast cancersurvivor teams. It was a beautiful setting for the Remos Arriba Rosas V Region de Chile team to come to Panama, as well as the Pura Vida Dragon Rosa team from Costa Rica. It was their first time participating in a festival, and all together with two teams from Pink Warriors, Mamas pal Agua and Dragon Hea...

The Olympic Flame

Submitted by Emilie Blond.On June 30th, during the Paris 2024 Olympic torch relay and for the first time in the history of Dragon Boating, the Olympic Flame travelled with pink breast cancer ladies on board. Members of Champ’ Dragon Ladies, a very young team created in 2022 at Châlons-en-Champagne (France), had the opportunity to be chosen by the Olympic Committee to paddle across “Lac du Der”.This Sunday morning, all the elements were unleashed : rain, wind, storm, we could see waves on ...

Dragon Boat Atlanta

In the heart of Atlanta, nestled amidst the urban landscape and bustling city life, a unique movement began to take shape in 2004. On that chilly February afternoon, Dragon Boat Atlanta embarked on its maiden voyage, marking the inception of a journey that would span two decades of camaraderie, resilience, and empowerment. Founded by Beverly Booth, inspired by the dragon boat program for cancer survivors in Charleston, South Carolina overseen by her cousin Sterling, Dragon Boat Atlanta emerged a...

Ireland News

Written by Marion Egan.While a number of Irish clubs have participated in overseas regattas this year, it’s been a great year for the Suir Dragon Paddlers from Clonmel. They travelled to Valladoid DBR in Spain and competed in temperatures that were well beyond Irish norms. But not a bother to them after their months of training at home.After a shaky start, they gathered themselves and kept their nerve and improved times and performance in each race, leaving other teams behind. They faced their...

Go Europe Pink Dragons

Submitted by Christina Bremer, Hannover.Following the Pentecost visit of a Go Europe Pink Dragons composite team formed of paddlers from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland (please read the news and see the pictures from Germany), another Go Europe Pink Dragons team met in Vienna for a reunion, another regatta and a picnic with the Vienna Pink Dragons in June. Our team, this time 18 paddlers with 6 nationalities, Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany and Northern Ireland, got t...

Official Statement

The International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission is a non-political, non-partisan organization.  As such, we will not make any political statements supporting or denouncing any political actions.  The IBCPC has a zero-tolerance policy with regards to racism, classism, ableism, ageism, sexism, trans and homophobia, religious intolerance or any actions that deny human rights to our members.  Any accusations levelled by a member against another member, or a member of the Board ...

Olympic Flame

This Olympic year will be a busy one for the Dragon Ladies. No medal in sight, of course, but an extraordinary showcase. Three French crews will be represented among the torchbearers.The Olympic flame arrived on French soil on 8 May, in Marseille (Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region). It has to travel 12,000 kilometres before arriving in Paris on 26 July.During this voyage, which will shed light on the history of France and those who wrote it, on our natural heritage, on French creativity and kno...

Nova Scotia Advocacy

I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma - Breast Cancer in Feb 2022 at the age of 56. I was working over 30 years in a career that I enjoyed, preparing for retirement but feeling like I had many more years to contribute to my career and I had 2 children in University.After I got over the shock of my diagnosis I soon settled in for the fight and developed a pattern in my daily thoughts. These thoughts became a focus for me during surgery and treatment:I am a strong woman, and I will get th...