Sask. breast cancer survivors head to international dragon boat festival

A group of breast cancer survivors from Saskatoon is paddling into international waters.

The dragon boat racing team Busting with Energy heads to France Wednesday to go up against other teams from across the world.

“I can’t describe how much life it gives you when you’re out on the water with a group of people who have experienced the same thing,” team member Kerry Neal told CBC.

She first heard about the team while receiving chemotherapy and joined as soon as she was feeling better.

“Just the team dynamic, to be around almost 40 people this year who have gone through similar issues, is really encouraging,” she said.

The women jokingly refer to themselves as “the team no one wants to join,” because membership is only open to people who have gone through a breast cancer diagnosis.

Neal joined the sport to help with lymphedema, a swelling in the legs or arms caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system that can develop any time after breast surgery and the removal of lymph nodes.

The sport is one of the best exercises for rehabilitating muscles and lymph nodes affected by breast cancer surgeries.

Sask. breast cancer survivors head to international dragon boat festival

That fact wasn’t known until a medical group in Vancouver launched the first breast cancer dragon boat team in 1996.

At that time it was suggested that women who'd had breast surgery should limit sports that encourage upper arm movement, such as canoeing.

The myth was disproven with the Vancouver team, and the concept of breast cancer dragon boating has now taken off worldwide.

“This team is an example of letting women know that there is life after you’ve had breast cancer, after you’ve gone through those treatments,” Anne Eagle, the team’s president, told CBC.

“You can resume your life. It might look different, but you can do it and do it well.”