Power of the Paddle follows the women of Abreast in a Boat, a series of dragon boat teams made up of breast cancer survivors. This documentary was produced by Sonya Kuitenbrouwer, Maddison Buckingham, Aleigha Andres and Grace McLeod, in partnership with Abreast in a Boat and BCIT Broadcast Journalism.

In February 2024, an Outreach event unfolded within the ROSA MEXICANO Dragon Boat Festival, the inaugural festival of its kind in Mexico.

Thank you to family owned BC Greenhouse Builders for their generous sponsorship. The connection made by Greta Heinen of BC Greenhouse Builders and Abreast In A Boat have been amazing. Greta paddled with Fortitude and Hope Boat and her family honours us and her memory with their sponsorship. Its these kind of connections that make a real difference.

Breast cancer dragon boat paddling, which began in Vancouver, Canada in 1996, has now made its way around the world. There are so many stories to be told; vignettes become magical chapters covering different aspects of this astonishing movement. Internationally Abreast captures the first 25 years of an adventure that has changed lives for the better.

Anita Canada recently launched a fine art photography book "Beautiful Body, Unbreakable Spirit : Courageous journeys through breast cancer", featuring 7 Dragon Boat paddlers who faced breast cancer. Proceeds will be donated to breast cancer survivor teams.

We are getting close to the end of another season without paddling. Something we never imagined… not in our wildest dreams! Who would have thought during these trying times we would come together virtually and socially distanced to “Adventure Around the World”? BUT WE DID!!!!

Five years after our trip to Argentina I look back and have so many wonderful and funny memories. What an opportunity it was to be a part of supporting the first breast cancer dragon boat team in South America.

Four members of Abreast In A Boat and Dr. Don travelled to Fiji in February 2020. Thank you to Adriana Bartoli, Dolly Devi, Jane Frost, Judy Crumlin, and Dr Don McKenzie, for bringing our message of hope and an awareness of breast cancer to the Fiji Islands. Here is their story.

AIAB’s Adriana Bartoli once again organized a very successful South American outreach — this time to Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, running from 2-7 October 2018.

British Columbia is set to notify women of their breast density Oct. 15th, 2018. Breast density notification is new to Canada.

Global: Esther Matsubuchi is perhaps our most reluctant “Courage to Come Back” award winner. She’s a breast cancer survivor, social advocate, volunteer, baker, sewer and grandmother, but she doesn’t really like too much attention.

Never thought that HOPE was tangible, had colours and shapes until we met with the Argentine novices last February. Hope has replaced loneliness and fear and changed their lives forever!

Abreast with FORT-itude, our Fort Langley crew, were honored with their second award for playing a prominent role in saving a drowning man on the Bedford Channel in April 2014.