Mexico and Trinidad
We are currently in discussions now and will look to undertake outreach clinics in late 2022/early mid-2023 in these two countries.
Betty Solley, IBCPC Membership Director connected Mariana Lascano of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico with the members of Pink Phuree, Houston, Texas. Mariana had contacted the IBCPC to request information about starting a breast cancer paddling team in Mexico. She is President of a nonprofit organization in Los Mochis, and while her group currently has access to tandem kayaks, she is interested in finding out more about dragon boating.
Further to this the subject of a team in Mexico was discussed at the recent IDBF Council meeting, where we were making the final decision on the World Nations 2021 to be held in Hong Kong in November.
Franco Siu Chong, President of PanAm Dragon Boat Federation will have a conversation with our BCS people in Mexico.
He is looking for an organization that has the capability, organization, influence and interest in starting Dragon Boating in Mexico, not only for BCS teams but a sport for all.
A successful strategy in the new territories in the Americas, has been to link up with an influential Chinese Organization which has the respect of the Chinese Community and an ear with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government is keen in promoting Chinese Culture in overseas Chinese communities. Dragon Boating can be used as a cultural and sporting contribution of the Chinese diaspora to the adopted country where they live.
Not only that but Franco has also linked up with a BCS organizer, Michelle O’Keefe, and encouraged her to start a BCS team in Trinidad. The ladies are so thoroughly excited and had only one practice. The following week before the next session, the government came and banned all team sports. We are sure that post Covid lockdowns they will be back on the water and we will be welcoming another new country to our IBCPC family.
Meanwhile in Croatia
Dubravka Karlovic-Babic, nickname Buba (Booba, like a [missing] boob), a member of the Breast Friends Dragon Boat BC survivor team from Edmonton since 2010.
Buba has been in contact with her regional rep and in turn Linda Kuska. Buba is looking for guidance to connect with teams or a person in Europe to help start a team in Croatia.
In the last two years (prior to Covid) Buba had been working / volunteering with the first and only team of BC survivors in Colombia and coaching them as best as she could considering that she is not a certified coach but just an experienced paddler. However, that allowed her to gain some experience in volunteer coaching of newbie teams.
Now, she has another plan: She would like to go to her home country Croatia and try to start a new survivor team (if possible). There are NO dragon boat teams in Croatia at all, not just BC survivors but none other, and it would be a challenging undertaking to start all of it from scratch. She has done some research and has some friends down there who could help her in that process. That means she is determined to try. So, this s a call out to anyone in the European bcs who would consider helping Buba. We have of course connected her with our reps and dragon boat contacts in the region.
Remember if anyone is interested in starting a new team take a look at the website under the resources tab and you will find the document “Starting a Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Team”.
