No WATER? NO PROBLEM!! :)

The conference has been a fabulous experience in so many many ways - please read the main Dragons Abreast Australia blog for the more general details. This section is where I am writing more for our coordinators and paddlers rather than the world - but of course anyone can read :)

I want to tell you about the dragon boat session that was planned for the World Conference. The weather was very inclement to say the least - so Chemo Savvy were very inventive. They moved the whole session indoors!
Lexie Warren with her 'medal'

The session was supposed to give participants a feeling of what it was like to be at a dragon boat regatta. Those girls pulled it off so well!

First of all our bus monitors took us up to the 3rd floor of the conference centre - a huge gymnasium like room. We were met by Cathy Prusak as we got off the bus with 'welcome to Lake Shirley'. We sat down with our bagged lunch and ate the picnic as we introduced ourselves to each other.

The opening ceremony began with the introductions and speeches, then the traditional dotting of the eyes - I was one of the officials - and I felt very honoured to be asked. One of the team members was fabulous on the traditional drum - everyone watched in awe and appreciation of this traditional element of dragon boat racing cutural celebration.

Open ceremony over - we were divided into our 'teams' - 3 teams. Mentors from Chemo Savvy or Waves of Hope (from Brandon, Manitoba) were allocated to all paddlers. I was in a team which had Sylvie as our coach and sweep. Those of you who were in New Zealnd may remember Sylvie? My partner was a lady called Virginia who had never paddled before. We received quick instruction and a 'practice' session in our 'boat' - we were BLUE BOAT - just to make sure we all understood the safety procedures and could paddle in time. Back to the old days of Darwin when it was plastic chairs and not a boat in sigh!

Practice over we assembled for the 'warm up' - a great session led by the Chemo Savvy personal trainer who put us all through our paces. Warm up complete and we stood around talking, till over the loud speaker came the call to Marshalling. We lined up in the marshalling area -wised each other good luck, made sure we had our drummer and then it was down to the loading dock.

Boat marshallers helped us into our seats and handed us each a lovely pink rose for the 'rose ceremony' that would be held immediately after the race. Buddies checked each others life jackets to make sure all secure (water is cold here!) and then we 'paddled' under Sylvie's instructions to the start line.

As we were lined up there was a bit of back paddling and drawing to line up the boats. The starter then called "Paddles Up, Attention, Go' and off we went to the tune of the Hawaii 5 O theme song - what a hoot!! We paddled as fast as we could, keeping great time as the drummer urged us on, and the crowds lining the bank cheered for us all.

Race over, we maintained positions on the water and the Rose Ceremony began - with the compere explaining what it was about, and then the silence as the song "The River" was played. Very emotional. At the end of the song we tossed our roses into the water. Sylvie called Paddles Up, and off we paddled back to shore. Everyone feeling very exhilerated and exhausted after their race!

As we approached the loading docks, Sylvie called out to stop the boat and had the right side 'hold onto the dock'. We came into shore and unloaded under the instructions of the boat marshalling. As we left the loading dock we were greeted by a paddle guard of honour that had been formed by our Chemo Savvy sisters - as we emerged from the arch each paddler received a 'medal' made by the local girl guides for all of us - it is a very precious medal!

This medal is particularly precious. In my book ranks right up there with the first medal I received in Vancouver in 2000 when Sandy Smith explained that all particpants would receive a 'gold medal' on the eve of Alcan because we were all winners - and this is not about competition. Indeed these medals are, in my book, more precious than any of the Golds that I have ever won because they embody all that Dragons Abreast Australia stands for and celebrate the fact that we are indeed the lucky ones.

Chemo Savvy did a wondeful job and are to be congratulated on pulling off such a great 'dragon boat festival' - more than anything they have truly displayed the dragon spirit that works through the breast cancer survivor teams.

It was a challenge that they rose to magnificently and this was only possible because they thought out of the box and got back to the roots of where we all began in those far past days, but we must all of us, never forget the past because it does shape the future.

Lexie Warren and I were the only two Aussies. We handed out the little clip on koala's which went down a treat with all the novice paddlers - who were unfamiliar with the practice of exchanging after races (as we knew they would be - but we expected nothing in return and wanted them to have that little extra touch)

I have now 'paddled' with Chemo Savvy on Lake Shirley in Winnipeg - which I think is marvellous, as it is 10 years since I first heard of Chemo Savvy - so to share this 'paddle' on their home ground was another fantastic and special experience that I will always remember.

Thanks Chemo Savvy for our friendship over the last 10 years! Thanks also Waves of Hope from Brandon, Manitoba for being there - I hope you all enjoy your copies of A Dragon's Tale!
Paddles Up!
Michelle