by Dino Asproloupos

I recently had the privilege of commentating for the 1999 Alcan Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia. Slated as the largest dragon boat festival and race of its kind in North America, it was a weekend of wellness for over 3000 paddlers and 40,000 spectators.

The highlight of the three-day event was the Abreast in a Boat Trophy sponsored by Soctiabank. It was the only race to feature 10 boats, and there were strict criteria to qualify for this special race. The boats didn’t have to meet time limits, nor did they need to advance from previous heats. Each and every paddler on these 10 boats had to be a breast cancer survivor.

Commentating for this event was going to be tough, as thousands of spectators had gathered along the shores of False Creek to support their mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and friends. Luckily, I was joined by Jane Frost who is a founding member of the Vancouver based Abreast in a Boat team.

The team was formed in 1996 by a group of breast cancer patients who were disillusioned with the prevalent medical thought at the time that women with breast cancer should not engage in upper body exercise for fear that this activity could result in lymphedema, a swelling in the arm on the side the breast was removed that can appear up to 20 years after surgery. This condition can sometimes leave patients without full use of their arm, and there is no cure or treatment for this painful condition to date. In 1996, breast cancer patients were also discouraged from upper body exercises such as lifting heavy objects, chopping carrots, golfing with woods, and paddling sports. Defying the odds, this group of women set out to train for the 1996 Dragon Boat Race under the guidance of Dr. Don McKenzie.

Dr. McKenzie was joined by a Ph.D. candidate, Cheri Neeson, as they tracked this group of volunteers as a research group into the effects of upper body exercise on breast cancer patients. Don McKenzie is based out of the Sports Medicine Clinic at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC and Cheri Neeson is the Executive Director at the Hope Cancer Centre.

The results, which were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, indicated that none of the volunteers developed lymphedema, and many paddlers reported an increase in arm use during the paddling season. The season included a supervised dry land training program that involved weight lifting and aerobics. Measurements of the participants’ arms were taken throughout the trial period to measure any changes in upper arm swelling. The goal for the team was to compete in the 1996 Dragon Boat Festival.

Abreast in a Boat was sponsored by Scotiabank and the team took to the water in their fuschia shirts. The crowd and media took to the paddlers immediately, and spectators approached the women before and after races to let them know how watching them had given them hope in their own lives. Abreast in a Boat was featured on a 1 hour special on Global TV, Chatelaine, and Homemaker magazines (October 1997). With paddle in hand, this group of breast cancer survivors has helped to reshape the way in which physicians prescribe physical fitness activities to breast cancer survivors.

In the last 4 years, the Vancouver based squad have set out on an international mission to attain 3 goals through participating and competing in dragon boat races: to have fun, to be fit, and to promote awareness of breast cancer in the community. They have succeeded in all three areas, as they have traveled to races in Victoria, Toronto, Australia, and New Zealand. Everywhere they have been, they have inspired other breast cancer survivors to form their own local teams.

This year’s race featured teams from Vancouver, across Canada, and the United States. The boats showed their defiant sense of humor with names like Amazons Abreast and Breastless in Vancouver. With Jane in the boat, we set off across False Creek as 200 paddlers fought through the cold gray waters. Jane’s voice flowed from the speakers on the shore explaining the positive effects dragon boating has had on her life. She communicated how valuable the support network had been for her, how she had benefited from the physical training, and most of all she emphasized that there was life after cancer.

As the teams crossed the finish line, 500 metres from their start, the spectators cheered and applauded with great enthusiasm. In a final gesture, the teams maneuvered their boats to face their families and friends on the boardwalk. In remembrance of those who could no longer be on board paddling, and for all breast cancer patients world wide, each woman lifted a pink carnation and set it afloat on the False Creek waters.

I looked at Jane, as tears prevented her from commentating, and I thought to myself how lucky I had been to share in this moment. I felt the magic of the human spirit in action, turning the trauma of cancer into the triumph of athletic endeavor. The old acronym for T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) was never more in evidence. There was a powerful bond among the competitors which extended to the family, friends, and spectators whose umbrellas added colour to a gray Vancouver scene. I was reminded again of Jane’s mission, "Have fun, be fit, and raise breast cancer awareness." Mission accomplished.