By Elizabeth Kovacs

Canberra’s Dragons Abreast is the longest-running breast cancer survivors’ paddling team in Australia.

It’s celebrating 25 years advocating for breast cancer awareness and therapeutically paddling a 22-seat dragon boat.

“It’s a support group without being a support group,” said breast cancer survivor and club event co-ordinator Jeannie Cotterell. 

“We don’t talk about cancer very often.

“‘You have cancer’ is a really interesting three words to hear, and you know that the people around you have all heard those words and know what that feels like. 

“We don’t talk about it a lot, but it’s almost like a safety blanket.”

The most important thing, she says, is that members know they are themselves, and not their diagnosis. 

Discovering a lump and receiving a breast-cancer diagnosis in 2014, Jeannie Cotterell’s life forever changed.

“I was 37,” Jeannie said.

“You’re not told to check out these things at that age.”

Jeannie quickly proceeded with surgery, chemo, radiation and 12 months of hormone therapy, using the same drug that her aunt had taken for its clinical trial. 

A roadside sign inspired Jeannie to become a paddler and now 10 years after her diagnosis, she is cancer free and eager to spread awareness of the good that Dragons Abreast does for breast cancer survivors.

“There’s a moment that happens at the end of treatment where all of the doctors have gone away and there’s not that much support left,” said Jeannie.

“It’s that moment that can feel awful, and we want people to know that in that moment: here we are.

“We don’t mind if people get tired of us talking about it because we don’t want people to go through what we have.” 

Twenty five years ago a Canadian doctor was in Canberra for a presentation of research he’d been doing into the treatment of women post breast cancer surgery. 

“The accepted wisdom at the time was that once [you’d] had surgery, you couldn’t do too much because it might exacerbate the risk of lymphedema,” said Jeannie.

The doctor, Dr Don McKenzie, had challenged this theory by starting a dragon boating club named Abreast in a Boat in Canada with 24 breast-cancer survivors. Finding a positive result in healthier and happier women, Dr McKenzie inspired local Anna Wellings-Booth to start a Canberra version of AIAB.

Initially called Tickled Pink, Anna and Michelle’s dream turned into Dragons Abreast Australia.

In the past month, Dragons Abreast Canberra, alongside eight other dragon boating clubs, have moved into new facilities on Menindee Drive alongside Lake Burley Griffin. 

The Dragons Abreast boat can be easily spotted in the water with a smattering of pink scales and a striking pink figurehead and tail, named GoAnna II in honour of founder Anna Wellings-Booth. 

The team trains three days a week all year round, and continues to steadily grow. 

Now sitting with 75 members (and counting), the team hopes to get another pink boat on the water soon. 

It regularly travels across the country to regattas, recently returning from Tasmania alongside 200 other cancer survivors. 

To mark its 25 years, Dragons Abreast is hosting a social and corporate regatta, 7am-2pm, on November 23 to raise funds for boat care, life jackets, etcetera. 

“Our goal is to have 500 people out on the water and 25 teams to celebrate our 25th anniversary,” said Jeannie. 

With a total of 30 teams registered and 28 full boats (each boat takes on 22 people), the organisation has smashed its goal out of the water. 

Dragons Abreast Canberra Social and Corporate Regatta, 15  Menindee Drive, Barton, 7am-2pm, November 23.