Indiana cancer survivors race dragon boats to stay well
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The dragon-headed boat emerged out of the docks and cut through the calm effortlessly.
Women lined both sides of the watercraft, paddles in hand, ready to slice through the waters of Geist Reservoir. Over the next hour or so, they would stroke rhythmically as one, following the beat of a drummer at the front of their boat and pouring their effort into gaining more and more speed.
The women had come from different parts of the Indianapolis area, each with a different career, family situation, background. But they all shared at least one thing in common: All of them were breast cancer survivors.
"People want to take hold of the tiger that got them down," said Elaine Shea, a southside Indianapolis resident and president of Indy SurviveOars. "You say, 'What can I do so this doesn't happen again?' The first thing you can do is get up and get active."
The Indy SurviveOars is a community of women with a history of breast cancer who have used the growing sport of dragon boat racing as a source of camaraderie and wellness.
More than 70 women are part of the team, ranging in age from 29 to 73. Through physical activity, they work to improve their own health while also serving as a network of support, sharing the unfortunate bond of breast cancer and drawing strength from each other.
"You end up meeting such an eclectic group of women who you never would have met if you did not have this entry card, which of course no one wants to have," she said. "You meet interesting people. And then when life throws you a curveball, there's people there checking in. Because you're working together, if somebody kind of steps back with a re-occurrence or something else in life, you're there to encourage one another so that you can move forward."
Dragon boat racing features 46-foot-long watercraft - long, thin and sleek - decorated with the head of a dragon on the bow. Teams of 22 paddlers sitting two abreast propel boats with the encouragement of a captain creating a constant beat on a traditional Chinese drum.
The sport originated in China more than 2,000 years ago and remains an important part of Chinese culture. The modern inception of the races came about in 1970 in Hong Kong and has spread throughout the world since then.
In particular, breast cancer survivors have been drawn to the sport. The movement started in the mid-1990s, when a Canadian sports medicine specialist named Don McKenzie started a dragon boat team in Vancouver, British Columbia, for women with a history of breast cancer.
His belief was that upper-body exercise would be beneficial to breast cancer survivors. His work challenged the idea that too much exercise for women who had breast cancer would cause lymphedema, a chronic swelling of the body.
The team's success, and his research into the participants' health, proved that belief to be incorrect. Nearly 200 teams of breast cancer survivor paddlers have formed around the country since.
The Indy SurviveOars formed in 2007, and last year celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a symposium on dragon boat racing and breast cancer survivors. McKenzie was a featured speaker.
"We kind of focus on what you need to do to be as healthy as you can. Research now is out there a little bit more than when we started about the benefit of activity for decreasing re-occurrence of breast cancer, so that's the main incentive," Shea said.
Shea was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. After having surgery, she was in the midst of radiation treatment when a friend at her church suggested that she try dragon boating.
"You always hear all these different things you need to do when you're dealing with the big 'C' word," she said. "I looked at him like he was a little confused. But then his wife told me that they were just starting this new thing, and asked if I wanted to try it. Personally, once I tried it, I was hooked."
The team gathers three times a week at Geist Reservoir for practice. Making a dragon boat work requires coordinated timing - kept by a drummer sitting in the prow of the boat - so teammates have to feel comfortable working together.
From April to October, the Indy SurviveOars take part in three or four races. The team even traveled to Florence, Italy, in July to take part in the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission Participatory Dragon Boat Festival.
At times, the schedule can be grueling, Shea said.
"You have days when it's 90 degrees and you're sitting here thinking, 'Oh my gosh.' But once you get out and get going on the water together, it's worth it," she said.
In late September, Indianapolis hosted its first-ever dragon boat races on the White River. Teams formed from throughout the region to race in central Indiana's main waterway.
With bright pink jerseys emblazoned with their logo, it was easy to spot the Indy SurviveOars. The team ended up finishing first in the breast cancer team division of the race, allowing the rowers to celebrate a victory in their home city.
"Seeing these women rebuild their own health is a powerful image," said Jill Hoffmann, executive director of the White River Alliance, which organized the race. "This was a great partnership, because we're all working for the same thing improving our health and a wellness connection."
For the members of Indy SurviveOars, the local race was a chance to increase their visibility. And with the ultimate goal of the group to promote wellness, their participation was in line with the event's attempt for spread the message of the team's ultimate purpose.
"We're certainly interested in the health of our waterways in Indiana. Most of us are cancer survivors, so we're not going to want to expose ourselves to any carcinogens or anything like that," Shea said. "We all have a vested interest in it."
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Source: (Franklin) Daily Journal
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Information from: Daily Journal, http://www.dailyjournal.net