Our beginnings
The first breast cancer survivor dragon boat team was established in
Vancouver, Canada in February 1996. In October 1998 a group of women from
the Northern Territory attended the National Breast Cancer Conference
for Women in Canberra where a Canadian journalist, Sharon Batt, mentioned
survivor dragon boat teams in Canada.
Michelle Hanton was instantly inspired as dragon boat racing had recently
started in Darwin. The first Australian breast cancer crew took to the
water in Darwin, NT. in December 1998. paddling under the name of NT Breast
Cancer Voice.
By early 1999 a crew had also formed in Canberra, ACT, under the leadership
of Anna Wellings Booth - Lake Burley Griffin would never be the same again!
By September 1999 Dragons Abreast had officially formed as a national
team with regular crews in ACT, NSW and NT. We competed at the 2000 Australian
National Dragon Boat Titles in Penrith, NSW as well as local regattas
in Canberra, Newcastle, Sydney and Darwin.
Janelle Gamble was the lone paddler from Qld at the 2000 National Titles.
Inspired by the Nationals she returned to Brisbane and determinedly formed
a Dragons Abreast group there.
Yvette Libregts and Carol Bishop formed the Cockburn Amazons Dragons
Abreast in WA in early 2001.
South Australia followed with the official launch of their group in October
2001 under the leadership of Carlene Butavicius.
A visit from Susan Harris of Abreast in A Boat, Vancouver as a guest
speaker to a Melbourne support group was what it took to push Victoria
into the water - they are now under the capable leadership of Pamela Williams.
Today we have grown to be a national movement with paddlers in every
State, recently adding Tasmania. In fact, it has become rather like a
roller coaster, gathering momentum as it goes.
This page last updated:
January 2, 2008
