DUC PINK: Ten Years Strong
Submitted by Rachel Rossler.
This year marks a special milestone for Dallas United Crew PINK—our 10th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team. What began as a small group of women coming together for strength and connection has grown into a decade-long journey of resilience, camaraderie, and movement with meaning. Over the past ten years, we've trained together, raced together, and supported one another through the highs and lows of survivorship. As we reflect on how far we’ve come, this season has felt like both a celebration of our roots and an eager anticipation of what’s to come.
We kicked off our competitive season in May on our home waters of White Rock Lake at the 2nd Annual AAPI Heritage & Dragon Boat Festival. Hosted in partnership with the City of Dallas, the festival brought together teams from across Texas and Oklahoma to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. The weather didn’t make it easy—strong winds and choppy water kept everyone on their toes—but our boats held steady. We raced hard, stayed connected, and most importantly, paddled to celebrate culture, community, and the healing strength of shared experience.
In June, we traveled north to compete at the Stars and Stripes Festival in Oklahoma City. Our team registered two boats and took on the 200m, 500m, and the always fun and often chaotic flag-catch race. This year, everything we’ve been building came together. We paddled with focus, grit, and the trust that comes from training side by side. The result? We brought home gold in the 200m—and for the first time, beat three strong teams we had never managed to top before. It was a big step forward for our team and a reminder that progress doesn’t always show up all at once—but when it does, it’s powerful.
As we celebrate this 10-year milestone, we’re also looking ahead to what’s next. Our sights are set on the 2026 IBCPC Dragon Boat Festival in Aix-les-Bains, France. We’re training not just to be race-ready, but to be present for one of the most meaningful gatherings in our community. We know many of you are preparing too, and we’re excited to see you there—to connect, cheer each other on, and be part of something much bigger than any one boat or club.
Until then, we’ll keep showing up to practice, pushing through the challenges, and sharing laughs on the dock. Because as you know, dragon boating has never just been about the water—it’s about the people in the boat, and the strength we find in each other.
With appreciation, solidarity, and paddles up!
Media Contact:
Rachel Rossler
Communications Manager
972-989-3965
rachelrossler@hotmail.com
DUCPINK.org
