Thank you for the wonderful energy you have brought to our refreshed newsletter. It is encouraging to see the April edition performing just as strongly as March, and it reminds us that when we share our stories, we strengthen our connection across oceans and seasons. We will keep this style and rhythm going for as long as the creative sparks keep flying—so please, keep sending in your team stories. We would love to feature at least one in every edition.
As President, I am also part of the Future Festivals Committee, which means I engage in site visits and inspections for festivals ahead. On these trips, I have been fortunate to weave in time with our wider paddling community—watching racing, supporting teams, and sharing a little coaching along the way. During a stopover in Singapore, I had the chance to get out on the water and run a training session with the Paddlers in Pink. What a stunning place to paddle—Marina Bay as our backdrop, the city rising behind us, and that familiar feeling of purpose settling in with every stroke.
As the saying goes, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” The photos and videos that surfaced afterward captured it perfectly: strength, sisterhood, and a whole lot of joy on the water.
I was also able to attend the Barcelona festival, where a number of breast cancer teams competed on the Olympic Canal in Castelldefels. This will be the venue for the IDBF Club Crew Championships in 2028, and it truly is a beautiful place to race—open sky, clear water, and the kind of setting that invites you to breathe deeply and remember how far you have come.
In my IDBF role, I have recently visited the National Championships in both New Zealand and Australia, thinking about Oceania and the possibilities that lie ahead for our region. It was inspiring to see such a strong contingent of breast cancer paddlers competing at the Australian Nationals—an outstanding event at Kawana Waters on the Sunshine Coast.
The New Zealand Nationals were, of course, at Lake Karapiro, which many of you will remember from the IBCPC festival in 2023. And yes—day one delivered the same fog and mist we experienced then, taking a couple of hours to lift. One thing I noticed in Australia is that, at their Nationals, breast cancer teams currently race only in small boats and do not race the two-kilometre distance. I am keen to advocate for change here, because both standard boats and the 2K distance are available at IDBF Club Crew and World Championship events. The more opportunities we have to race across formats and distances, the more we grow—individually and together.
Many of you may remember that at the IDBF World Nations Championships in Brandenburg, Germany last year, I was invited to commentate the breast cancer races. That became a real highlight for me—and, I hope, for many of our paddlers around the world—because I knew the teams, I knew the people, and it was impossible not to let that pride and excitement come through on the broadcast.
As a result, the two commentators, Nick Hando and Doug Grevett, have launched a podcast called Paddles Ready. They invited me to join as a guest to talk about IBCPC—where we started, the growth we have seen, and where we are heading next. It is a fantastic listen, and I warmly recommend subscribing. You can find Paddles Ready on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. “There is no greater strength than a story shared.” We will also share a link in this newsletter.
Before long, the covers will be coming off the dragon boats in the northern hemisphere, while we pull on our winter woollies as the days shorten and the air turns crisp. Wherever you are paddling, I hope you are finding moments of connection, courage, and calm on the water. Keep that enthusiasm and excitement alive as we set our sights on France—stroke by stroke, together.
Cheers,
Meri
