By Rachel Rossler
Amid a historic polar vortex affecting the southern states, which brought unusually cold, windy and rainy weather to Florida, 500 cancer survivors, including 19 members of White Rock Lake’s own Dallas United Crew PINK, gathered at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota for the inaugural “Unleash the Dragons” event.
Photos courtesy of DUC PINK!
The three-day leadership camp, paddler clinic and festival brought together dragon boat athletes representing 99 teams from across the United States and 11 other countries.
The participants, diverse in personality, shared two common experiences: they all faced a cancer diagnosis, and they all understand the empowering impact of overcoming that diagnosis through the ancient Chinese sport of dragon boating.
Dragon boating has existed for more than 2,000 years but is surprisingly one of the fastest-growing sports that many people have not heard of.
A traditional dragon boat is a 40-foot canoe that accommodates 20 paddlers sitting side-by-side, working together to propel the boat forward. They are led by a drummer perched on the bow, who provides a rhythmic beat to keep the athletes in sync.
Additionally, a steersperson stands at the stern, guiding the boat using an oar as a rudder. A dragon boat team consists of 22 individuals who must work together as a cohesive unit. This harmony is achieved through trust, grit, determination, and strength — qualities that cancer survivors know all too well. In 1996, Dr. Don McKenzie, a Canadian sports medicine physiologist, discovered that the repetitive motion involved in dragon boating was particularly beneficial for breast cancer patients. He challenged the prevailing medical thinking of the time, which advised survivors to avoid upper body activities. Dr. McKenzie’s commitment to proving his theory led to the creation of an international organization with 360 breast cancer survivor teams. He is truly considered the “father” of the sport. Dr. McKenzie served as the keynote speaker at the leadership conference that kicked off the weekend’s festivities.
The highlight of any festival is undoubtedly the competitive racing. The 24 composite teams of Unleash the Dragons participated in 200 meter relays, 200 meter knockout races, as well as 500 meter and 1000 meter races. Each course required different strategies, conditioning and stamina.
While the race officials’ clocks distinctly determined the winners from the losers, anyone who has paddled knows — on the water, everyone is a winner!
Dallas United PINK invites all breast cancer survivors to join them and unleash the dragon within! They will kick off their 2025 season Saturday, March 1 with an informational meeting beginning at 10 a.m. at the CC Young Auditorium 4847 W. Lawther, Dallas, Texas.
Visit DUCPink.org.
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