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Have you heard the saying "All roads lead to Rome"? Well we never imagined that the rocky road of breast cancer would lead us there! We four represented Abreast in a Boat at the World Club Crew Championships in Rome, Italy. Known as "Internationally Abreast" our team was comprised of women, all breast cancer survivors, from Australia and Canada. The two other breast cancer boats there were from Philadelphia, (U.S.A.) and Dragons Abreast (South Australia). Together we took our message of hope, support, and friendship to the women of Italy. We were proud to be the example that women with breast cancer can live full and active lives. Michelle Hanton, our leader and manager from Australia, had contacted Murray Cobban, the Australian Ambassador, to let him know of our arrival in Rome. As a result we were invited to a reception at the Ambassador's residence where we met with the media, physicians, dignitaries and representatives from next year's World Championships in Shanghai. We also met the ambassador's wife, who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and was commencing chemotherapy the week we were in Rome. Everyone there was extremely supportive and aided in getting out our message of hope. Michelle never missed an opportunity to get our message of hope out, nor did she ever miss a photo op or media op. Before our first race she arranged for our team to be blessed by Cambodian Monks. It was a very spiritual chant that left us feeling empowered and very strong. After one of our first races an Italian lady named Orlanda Cappelli spoke with Linda and asked if she could race with our team. She is a breast cancer survivor who paddles with a mixed team. Linda translated Orlanda's request and by the next race she had become our drummer and remained so for the next few races. She is now very eager to start a breast cancer survivor team in Italy! For the first time ever a breast cancer team paddled in a 2000m race. No, we didn't place in the top three but the love, support and cheering that we received from the shore line put us first place in the hearts of everyone there. The noise from the crowd was almost deafening and it was very emotional for us. Our final race on Sunday was again very emotional! Our Italian friend Orlanda arranged for roses and all of the breast cancer boats came together to toss the flowers into the water. Again the crowd was awesome and this time very quiet as we took a minute of silence to remember the women who were no longer with us and, as well, those women and their families who are now fighting breast cancer. During the three days of racing there was a documentary crew who followed us and filmed us at every turn. The documentary should air sometime in the late fall on the Womens' Network. We will keep you posted on the date. How did we do? We were successful! At the spectacular opening ceremonies it was announced that the first Italian breast cancer survivor team would be formed this year in Rome. It was also announced that that boat would attend and race at the Worlds in Shanghai. So next year will be the first time that a breast cancer dragon boat team has ever raced in Asia. We raised awareness as we were visible anywhere we stood in our hot pink race shirts. We were definitely full of life, we definitely kept up with the Australian women, and we definitely brought home medals! Two Bronze, count 'em, two! Life, indeed, is very full and active! We feel very proud and privileged to have represented Abreast In A Boat and thank you all for giving us this opportunity of a lifetime.
I don't think there are enough adjectives in the English language to describe the gamut of emotions that I experienced at Deas Slough on Sunday. This is my first season as a paddler, preceded by three years of ill health. Although I had been in the gym off and on since October, I started the season in lousy shape. But ever since I saw the video of Abreast in A Boat at the Cancer Agency last spring I have had a dream, an intense vision of myself on the water, paddling my heart out. My family was skeptical; "just watch me", I proclaimed. The first month was a struggle to keep my spirits up. I was the worst paddler on the boat, always pulling my paddle during pieces - dogged by sharp shoulder pain and breathlessness. I often cried on the way home on Saturdays, thinking I would never make it. I feared coach Ruth would realize how hopeless I was and kick me off the team. Captain Jenny assured me that she would never let that happen. Ruth never gave up on me. One practice she corrected me at least ten times, and I felt blessed! I took it as a sign that she thought there was hope for me. A very good friend said to me "don't think of yourself as the worst on the boat, think of yourself as one of a small group of amazing women who had the courage and commitment to get out there and try it. You are a winner just by being on the boat!" I began to get stronger and better at paddling. I quickly grew to love my team of wonderful paddlers. Some nights being out on the water was so lovely it moved me to tears. When we began practicing race starts the adrenaline rush was orgasmic! Still, I didn't think I would be ready to race this year. I told myself it was OK for me to be on a two year project. Kathy convinced me at the Keg one night that I really could race at Deas Slough and be OK. By then I had managed one three minute practice race without pulling my paddle. I reasoned that I could probably do one race, but not three, in a day. Ruth never said a word. So I didn't either. I arrived at Deas Slough on Sunday more excited than I was nervous for the first race. The warm up was fun, - we were all in jubilant moods it seemed. Ruth was amazing. She really wants us focused "in the boat" and she helps make that possible for us by being so intensely focused herself. She spoke with such authority and self confidence that all of our nerves and scattered energy evaporated and there we were: all together holding hands and visualizing ourselves going through a race. The most wonderful moment for me was leaving the dock to paddle out for the first race. Our wonderful drummer Donna called "PADDLES UP! And for the first time, as we drove our paddles into the water, we heard the boom, boom, boom, of the drum. My heart nearly burst through my chest I was so thrilled! The race was exciting and exhausting and was over in a flash, just like they told us it would be. During the race I followed Ruth's advice and just thought about each stroke in the moment; this stroke, this stroke, this stroke. There was one brief moment when I suddenly thought, " Oh my God, where the F---is the finish line", but I caught myself and went back to "this stroke, this stroke, this stroke". Later Ruth told me she had seen my brief faltering and quick recovery from her vantage point on shore. It didn't matter that we hadn't won, or even came second, we had raced a good race, and our coach was proud of us. I went on to race two more times that day. Each time was easier than the time before, each time I was more nervous than the time before. The last few strokes of the last race I tried harder than I have ever tried anything in my life. I finished the race in a heap in the boat and couldn't pick up my paddle for several minutes. When we walked up from the dock we were greeted by a huge crowd of cheering happy faces, and an arch of paddles had been formed which we walked through. My dream had come true, my vision was a reality. I kept saying to myself "you did it gal, you really did it!" We regrouped and Ruth was so happy with us, and we were all tired and proud. It took an hour before the tears stopped trickling from the corner of my eyes. I really needed to howl, sob, shout for joy, and release all the excitement, fear, and exaltation damned up inside me. What a day! What a life!
Last February, I came here, like you, to register for a dragon boat team. I was bald and three months out of treatment struggling to claw some semblance of my previous life back together again. I was very nervous. I felt like a little mouse confronting a tiger. What was I doing, hoping to paddle in a race when I could barely lift the vacuum cleaner. I'd probably last out only for the first practice. However, let me tell you, my husband could not believe the transformation that occurred in the little mouse that started dragon-boating in April, to the little mouse that has learned to paddle and then to roar with excitement and exhilaration when our boat won our first race at Dee's Slough. I recall that day. Three minutes of paddling - sounds like a breeze. But when you're actually doing it, it feels like three hours. All the novices were exhausted. We didn't have to say anything. We were all feeling and having the same thoughts. Is this really us competing and racing a dragon boat when so recently we thought we were at death's door? It felt very good feeling strong again; to laugh again and the exquisite joy of sharing these feelings with fellow paddlers who had been on that same long journey to recovery. It's hard to convey the empathy and love that exists between the dragon boat ladies in pink. Some of them have gone through such hardships, sickness, recurrences, husbands leaving them, children to support, and still they smile and hug each other and forget their troubles out on the water. That's what's so great about Abreast in a Boat. My family and friends greeted me - they all had tears in their eyes. I felt like an Olympic athlete, totally elated. I still find it hard to describe my feelings at that moment especially when my daughter whispered in my ear "I'm so proud of you mom, you're my hero!" After the Festival I felt a great need to express my thoughts and feelings. And when Rosemary Shandler asked me to speak to the novices, I was a little reticent as I'm not good at public speaking. I think I said something like "I would sooner boil my head in oil." But dragon boating has made me strong enough to face challenges I would never have dreamed of doing before. Also, by speaking to you, I hope I am giving back to this organization a little of the inspiration and love that has come my way over the past year. By telling you of some of my experiences, I hope I have persuaded you to sign up. Don't procrastinate. Just do it, because you too can have the excitement, the camaraderie, and the exhilaration that comes with dragon-boating. Paddles-up you novices, because as Martha Stewart says, "It's a good thing".
Most people involved in dragon boat racing are aware of the ‘Pink Ladies’ – the breast cancer dragon boaters that paddle their message of awareness around the globe. This year, in Australia, we believe that Jenny Petterson, a BCS paddler, has made history, hers is a remarkable story of courage and determination! Jenny Petterson and her sister Joanne are twins.
In March 1997 at the age of 35, Jenny (but not Joanne) was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. In November 1999 the cancer was found to have spread to 10 tumours across each of her lungs and a few years later a large tumour was found in her abdomen. She has undergone 3 operations including a mastectomy and removal of all lymph nodes in one arm, 2 six-month courses of chemotherapy; radiotherapy; several types of hormone treatments as well as a wide range of alternative therapies. She has been through the mill. Jenny & Joanne were introduced to dragon boat a little over 3 years ago and were immediately hooked! They paddle together with both local NSW club Port Hacking and Dragons Abreast Sydney. Indeed they do just about everything together! In January 2003 Jenny received a disappointing CT Scan and was told to wait 3 months for more scans for a comparison then a decision would be made whether or not she should commence a course of chemotherapy. This scan 3 months later showed a new growth in her abdomen and an increase in the size of the 3 remaining lung tumours. During this 3-month period Jenny continued to paddle. In March 2003 she competed in the South Pacific Inaugural Breast Cancer Regatta in Auckland as part of the Australian Team, followed by the New Zealand Nationals in Wellington. Jenny then competed with Dragons Abreast in the Nationals in Adelaide in April 2003, whilst her sister Joanne paddle with the NSW State team and won a berth in Team Australia. On returning home Jenny received the news that she would need to undergo intensive chemotherapy and was later advised that she should not go to Shanghai (before the change to Poland because of SARS) for the World Championships for fear of infection. From May to November 2003, Jenny took part in a clinical trial and the side effects of the chemotherapy meant she was not able to paddle. During this time Joanne was training with the Australian Women’s Team to compete in Poland, which Jenny would loved to have gone to watch but could not travel with such a low immune system. She suffered an infection and was hospitalised for 8 days and was discharged just in time to come out to the airport to farewell the Australian team for Poland. Jenny came out to each of the 4 time trials the Australian Team had at Penrith and videoed all the races of the teams and got some great footage which was used to analyse the teams’ techniques. Looking back she says she doesn’t know how she was able to manage what she did when she was feeling so unwell. When Jenny completed her chemotherapy in November 2003 she couldn’t get back into the boat quick enough and paddled in the Australian Masters in Canberra in November 2003. She took the paddling easy in the first 2 months following the chemotherapy while her body was recovering. The post-chemotherapy scan showed that the abdominal tumour has completely gone but the size of the lung tumours had only partially decreased. Jenny attended a Dragon Boat Training Day on Australia Day this year and since then she has ramped up her training to 6 paddling sessions and 3 weights sessions at the gym each week. Her oncologist told her she can exercise as hard as she wants to now and the latest scan, three months after treatment has shown a significant decrease in the size of the lung tumours. Joanne now has her paddling and gym-buddy back!! Jenny was back in the stroke seat for Dragons Abreast at Chinese New Year in February. She is feeling so strong now that she trialled for the NSW State Teams to compete at the 2004 Nationals in Perth and was placed 41 out of 60 women and earnt a place in the State Women’s B Team as well as a place in the Mixed Masters Team. We are all so proud of Jenny, she is an absolute inspiration to us all, in particular the ladies in the Dragons Abreast Teams who can see just how strong, positive and motivated she is after all the setbacks she has had. Only a few months ago it would have been quite unbelievable to imagine she could have come this far in dragon boating after everything she has been through, particularly during last year. Jenny Petterson doesn’t need a medal, she is truly a champion, like every BCS, in every sense of the word but a ‘little bit of tin’ will be icing on the cake! What a wonderful story of the human spirit striving to overcome the worse that life cam throw at it. Jenny’s story is typical of our BSC paddlers, so when they take a little longer to get to the Marshalling area to load their boats, take a bit more time to race down the course and disembark and maybe put the Regatta time table behind just a little; think of Jenny and all that she and the other BCS paddlers have gone through – just to be on the Start Line. Their Gold Medal is to be there – not the winning, the taking part. Editor. |
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In
June, our team competed in the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival. I had
my own group of supporters cheering me on. It felt very strange.
Usually it would be me cheering my sons and daughter when they were
playing soccer. Now it was their turn to cheer for me. Our teams
lined up to get in the boat. I looked at our competition, most of
them, especially some of the guys looked as if they could play for
the N.F.L. At that point I went into visualization mode and stayed
there until I heard "starter has the race". You'll get to know the
jargon. Then I paddled like stink, my paddle slicing the water,
trying to keep in time to the drum. After what seemed an eternity
I heard the words "let it run!". The cheering and noise from the
shore became overwhelming. We came last, but it didn't matter to
me. I felt like a winner. Our team ran up the dock and through the
arches of paddles held up by our fellow dragon-boaters.
