Racing the Ritual Dragon -- Breast Cancer Survivors Paddle in Punta Gorda Dragon Boat Event

They wear pink shirts, pink hats or white ones with pink ribbons, and they paddle -- racing against a ritual dragon that tried to keep them down and couldn't.  They are breast cancer survivors (BCS) who paddle in one of the fastest growing sports in the world -- Dragon Boat Racing.   Three teams of Breast Cancer Survivors will be competing this weekend in War on the Peace, Punta Gorda's Annual Dragon Boat Racing Event.

One of the teams is the Punta Gorda Team just formed last year by Alice Walker, a BCS from Punta Gorda and two Canadian ladies, Bev Nelson and Gerri Church.  Having always been active during her life, Alice  was not one to believe that sitting still was the best way to deal with the disease.   " I started exercising as soon as I could," she said.  She herself became involved with Dragon Boat Racing when the Charlotte Paddlers formed the Draggin Dragons Team at Burnt Store Marina.  Later at an event in Tampa, she saw ladies participating in a pink boat, which sparked the idea for a a Punta Gorda BCS  team.

Alice pointed out to us that historically  "breast cancer survivors had been advised to avoid physical activity". But in 1996 a Canadian physician, Don McKenzie challenged this long held belief and created the first cancer survivor dragon boat team. . Today, there is an emerging body of research suggesting that physical activity not only has a positive effect on quality of life following a diagnosis of cancer, but may also improve and enhance survival.

The dragon boat community promotes breast cancer awareness by organizing breast cancer survivor (BCS) teams across the world. The BCS teams have formed their own International Committee, called The International Pink Paddlers Council.  They will hold a major event in Sarasota in 2014 with BCS teams from all over the world participating.  

The Punta Gorda team consists of 15 local survivors including one gentleman, also a breast cancer survivor, Herb Wagner (Herb's website).   Also on the team are ladies  from Canada, Iowa and Pennsylvania.  "The team is fairly new as is the knowledge of the sport around here," noted Alice.  "We've grown a lot in one year but are eager to recruit more members so that we can have an all local team," she said noting that the benefits are many to cancer survivors "plus, we have a great time... we have become good friends as well as team mates."  "You don't need experience to join. It's  something everyone can do.  You just need the willingness to participate in this fun sport."

Save Our Sisters Team from Miami (Courtesy of SOS website)

The three teams participating in the Punta Gorda Dragon Boat Races on Saturday are the Punta Gorda team, CHP Peacemakers, a team from Miami "Save our Sisters," and the Pink Dragon Ladies from Tampa.

If you are interested in learning more about participating on a BCS dragon boat team, contact Alice Walker joeal36@yahoo.com.  Better yet go on down Saturday and cheer on the team, and talk with some of the paddlers as they disembark from their boat.  Oh and not to forget "Paddles Up" CHP Peacemakers!