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DRAGON BOAT - Goes to Competition

Originally published in the Special Edition 2003 issue of The Hollings Herald

At five a.m., the Southern Survivors, the Hollings Cancer Center Dragon Boat team, were ready to leave for their twelve-hour trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for their first competition in a Dragon Boat festival held by Fox Chase Cancer Center. Since July, the team had been practicing three times a week to prepare for this competition. On race day- October 4th- the team awoke to a very chilly forecast with twenty-four mile per hour winds. Taking on the Schuykill River in Fairmont Park, they paddled against teams from across North America. At the end of the day, after three 500-meter grueling races, they placed third in their division. What an incredible accomplishment for a team that had just formed and starting practicing three months before. Here, in their own words are their stories.

Dr. Cindy Carter recalls that August 31, 2000 "was the first day that I sat in a dragon boat paddled by cancer survivors and nothing could prepare me for my encounter that day on a cold lake outside of Vancouver with the Abreast in a Boat team. Experiencing their unique spirit, enthusiasm, and determination was one of the most powerful and emotional experiences of my life. On that day it became as clear as the Canadian water that passed beneath our False Creek paddles. Despite any obstacles that might lay ahead, dragon boating was coming to Charleston and our community of cancer survivors." Louise Graff, the Dragon Boat's steersperson, recalls the beginning stages of the team coming together. "In our first attempts at paddling we barely made it out of the City Marina. There was the newness of it all, the shock of a different type of exercise with an unusual paddling stroke, the tricky tides and wind, a novice steersperson. The docks and other boats seem to come out of nowhere, the awesome resonance of the drum, sore arms and shoulders, new instructions, soaring spirits...To use a much overused cliché- we have come a long way baby!" To many, and most likely all, of the paddlers, being a part of the Dragon Boat has made a strong impact on their lives.

"When I got into the boat last June, I finally felt complete and whole again, but competing in Philly was the ultimate in feeling strong and healthy." -Janice Nations "The Dragon Boat has connected me with people that get it...They get what life is all about. Don't let the little things get in the way. I have a much better sense of peace and appreciation of each day. I feel like I won the lottery every time I get in the boat and hear, 'Paddles Up!'" -Jan Arlene "Just seeing a dream come true was so heart warming and meant the world to me...being a part of it from the beginning really has (given me) a new look at life, all the friends we will make and the things that the group can prove to everyone." - Mickey Maw. "The people on the dragon boat team, the composers, supporters, coaches and paddlers, are all turning something "icky" (cancer), into something beautiful. I feel so fortunate to be sharing this opportunity with these wonderful people." - Almeda Kelley "I'm thankful not to just be alive, but to be really living." - Michele Adelson.

What is in the future for the Dragon Boat team? Maybe Graff says it best when she states, "We will gather more people by the river in dragon boats and we will all reach beyond what we thought we could do to achieve a common goal. We believe in the spirit which propels us forward each blessed day and we will continue to achieve all that we can."

DEBBIE'S NOTES
Paddling? That would be a good cross training exercise, I thought to myself, as I read Sterling Hannah's (HCC's Program Coordinator) email asking for volunteers to come and fill the Dragon Boat back in July. Boy, I was way off base if I thought that the only thing that I would get out of this experience was building muscle. Being a part of the Dragon Boat has added an element to my life that I still struggle to express. It is the camaraderie, the team spirit and the attitude of living life to the fullest and making the most out of each day. It is the pursuit to embark on new friendships and gain strength through others without saying a word. It is the feeling in my stomach when I hear "take it away" and the relief of hearing "let it run". It is the pat on the back after a long drill or the sound of the coaches' positive chants that echo across the water. It is about facing fears and finding solace there. It is about re-filling your spirit with good moments after a long day. It is the feeling of wanting to give up because you have given everything that you have, but through the power of your fellow paddlers you find the endurance and the drive to finish. No, it is not about the cross training, it is about living, and living well and enjoying it all. These Dragon Boat Paddlers, these Southern Survivors, have changed my life, have made me examine my life and myself, to strive and accomplish what I seek. I am so blessed to have had this experience and am anxious to see it prosper. In a way, this experience has made me stronger, just not in the way that I thought it would. Paddles up!