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We at Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) believe that Charleston, with its warm climate and scenic waterways, is a natural fit for a cancer survivor dragon boat program. Our faculty and staff have the resources and dedication to provide the appropriately structured training program to learn how physical activity can help cancer survivors. We also believe that with the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response Dragon Boat Charleston has received from survivors and supporters, the program will continue to grow in the Charleston community.

When Dragon Boat Charleston started in 2003, only one person on the team had experienced dragon boating. With patience and expert training, we learned and improved as individuals and as a team. The following October, we raced in our first competition in Philadelphia and won 3rd place in our division.

In 2004, we competed in Victoria, British Columbia and Atlanta's Olympic venue at Lake Lanier. We are happy to report that we took 4th- and 1st place in our divisions respectively.

In 2005, we grew to two teams and went competed in the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival in British Columbia and the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Atlanta. In Victoria, both teams took 4th place. In Atlanta, our Survivor Team took 1st place and our Recreation Team took 3rd place. 

In 2006, we traveled to Charlotte, bringing home 3rd place medals.  After that, we took 1st-and 2nd place in Boston in the Cancer Survivor Division.  Our great summer experience was racing in the US National Dragon Boat Championship in Tampa, earning second place in the Women's Division and 3rd place in the Mixed Silver Division.  Our race season ended with a return to Atlanta, bringing home 3rd place in the Survivor Challenge.

In 2007, we traveled to Charlotte for a great day of racing. No bling, but we had a ball and watched our off-spring, Charleston Surge, paddle to win the 2nd place medal.  So proud!   We loaded up the bus and traveled to Chattanooga for their Inaugural Dragon Boat Festival.  Our good friends, Penny and Wendy of DynamicEvents coordinated the event perfectly (as they will our upcoming event....May 3, 2008) - except the beastly hot temperature.  We had 2 teams racing, winning the Cancer Survivor Division and the Out of Zipcode Division.  On to Atlanta in September where we took the Cancer Survivor Championship and our Charleston Surge took 2nd place in the Recreational Division.  In October, we took over AirTran and flew to Philadelphia, the sight where we first experience a Dragon Boat Festival.  It was great fun to return.  Dragon Boat Charleston took 1st place in the Cancer Survivor Division and Charleston Surge brought home Silver medals.  What a fun year of racing we had.

As we finish 2007 with the Annual Holiday Boat Parade, we are excited to be hosting our first dragon boat festival - May 3, 2008 - http://char.racedragonboats.com