On July 6, Sunshine Coast Dragons Abreast joined 122 teams from 18 countries in the opening ceremony of the 2018 International Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Festival. They walked across the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge in the centre of Florence, Italy, dressed in flowing wraps with a hummingbird motif designed by a First Nations artist.
The festival is held every four years around the world and Dragons Abreast has participated in all of them, including Australia and Florida, since 2005. The festival is international and growing, with new teams this year from Sweden, Denmark, Argentina and Brazil. The Florence festival was the largest yet, with 3,400 paddlers and more than 1,000 registered supporters – the largest women’s athletic event in the world. The Sunshine Coast team included 16 local paddlers augmented by seven paddlers from Nanaimo and Vancouver.
The event is participatory, and anyone affected by breast cancer is encouraged to take part. Several paddlers on the Sunshine Coast team had recently undergone cancer treatment. The aim isn’t to win but to be role models by showing that having cancer does not stop one from being involved in fitness, friendship and fun.
This year’s race took place on the Arno River, not far from the centre of Florence. Dragons Abreast competed in four races on Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8, in 34-degree weather. The team’s times were fast enough to place them at the top of the bottom quarter, not bad for a small community.
On the final day a memorial race was held, with one paddler from each team competing. This was followed by a very moving flower ceremony where fellow paddlers who have passed away were remembered. It was incredible to see several thousand pink shirts and supporters lining the banks of the Arno as the boats gathered together for the ceremony.
One highlight occurred just before the festival when Dragons Abreast was invited to visit the Florence Rowing Club, situated under the famous Uffizi Gallery on the Arno River. They were able to paddle a dragon boat under the Ponte Vecchio, with tourists cheering them on.
The team fundraised to make the trip happen, including organizing their popular annual fashion show. The funds helped cover the registration cost for each paddler. The team also supports the Hospice Society. Dragons Abreast is grateful to this season’s sponsors, Custom Flooring and Central Coast Concrete.
The team members have returned and are busy paddling, as well as planning the next fashion show, to be held Oct. 18.
