Two Dartmouth- based dragonboat crews paddled their way to success at International Festivals in Florida last month.
Bosom Buddies of Nova Scotia, a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team, placed in the top 25 out of 104 teams from around the world, at the International Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Festival in Sarasota. They were also the top finishing team from Atlantic Canada.
“Bosom Buddies of Nova Scotia is a group of women living with breast cancer who strive to demonstrate that there is life after breast cancer,” says team member Judie Edgar. “We support and care for each other while building physical and emotional health paddling as a dragon boat team.”
The festival included many teams from Canada and the United States, as well as teams from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
The 4,000 festival participants in Sarasota were people who have survived breast cancer.
Dragon Boating for breast cancer survivors originated 18 years ago in Vancouver and the Bosom Buddies of Nova Scotia was founded 16 years ago. This group paddles three times a week on Lake Banook in Dartmouth and weekly on Mahone Bay. For most Buddies, the team camaraderie and support of other survivors are just as important as winning the next race.
The other winners in sunny Florida were the Dragon Beasts all female team. They raced in the women’s sport division at the Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival. At the end of a series of heats the Beasts faced off other top teams from all over North America. The result was a very close final race. The Beasts took home the silver medal.
Paddler Maria MacDonald has been on many team sports over the years. But after four years of paddling, she has found dragonboating to be the most exhilarating, enjoyable, vigorous, social and non-stressful team sport she has ever experienced.
And winning silver in Orlando was the best way to end the season on the water.
“It was an unbelievable feeling of energy, focus, strength, cohesion and determination, while racing amongst the Dragon Beasts women’s crew to place silver,” says MacDonald. “A huge thanks to our honorary Beasts who joined us from Boston, Florida and Toronto and many thanks to Coach Albert McDonald for your endless leadership, drive, dedication and inspiration.”
For info on how to join Bosum Buddies email Judie at Judie.Edgar@novascotia.ca
To learn more about dragonboating for men and women and the fall/winter training at the gym please email Albert at albert.mcdonald@ns.sympatico.ca.
-Joanne Oostveen, Herald Community