Dragon Boating with Cancer
You may not be aware of the links between Dragon Boating and cancer. He may not even know about Dragon Boating, in which case, let me enlighten you. A sport originating in China, Dragon Boating is now performed all over the world. The boat is wide enough to accommodate 10 pairs of rowers sitting side by side, a drummer at the front who keeps time, and a sweep (also known as a coxswain) who makes sure the boat goes the right way. correct. During races, there is a dragon head and tail attached to the boat, but they are usually not present during training. There’s a different technique for rowing, but we’ll talk about that later.
When I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer in 2012, I decided that when I was in remission, if I made it this far, I would embrace every new and exciting opportunity that might come along. One that I didn’t expect was Dragon Boating. It came about as an idea through a friend who saw the sport advertised at his local hospital. We arranged to try it out and headed to the London Regatta Center on a Saturday morning to meet up with other cancer survivors in a team called the Wave Walkers. It was a meeting that would become important in the scheme of things, especially since the action of rowing helps relieve the symptoms of lymphedema that I was diagnosed with earlier this year. It is also an excellent way to promote the well-being of cancer patients and those who have been affected by cancer. There’s nothing like a morning on the water in the company of a cobweb removal team. What follows is a typical training day for Wave Walkers!
After a challenging week, Saturday arrives which means paddling. It’s not the kind of rowing that rolls up your pants at the seashore, but a full Dragon Boat rowing. Well, maybe full-on is a bit of an exaggeration. The weather is gray and rain threatens, but we leave for London with our friend and her daughter. The team is made up of anyone affected by cancer and little by little we are forming a good team. We are Wave Walkers and we have ambition! We have 18 people on the boat today and everyone is in a good mood. Mr. Mason and I haven’t been in a while, so we do a basic refresher with some new paddlers while everyone else warms up. I’m paired with a regular Raging Dragon, the professional arm of our club, and he promises to get me off the dock if our ship capsizes. This is not something that has happened before, but we always have a safety drill beforehand and number up so everyone has a partner in case there is an accident.
Our coach takes us through a lot of prep practice. We wave our paddles to commands of “One! Two! Hit!” Part of the problem with our group is that we all really like each other and spend a lot of time chatting and making fun of each other. Any comment about how well someone is doing is usually met with a chorus of “Ooooh, aren’t you smart?” write comments. Knowing left from right also helps, and some team members clearly have trouble with this. I don’t mention names, but you know who you are. (Suzanne). We row the oars the right way and then row them upside down so we can practice our kick, the leg movement that adds more power to our rowing. During the strike, you also have to twist your upper body so that you’re not using your arms to drive the paddle, but rather it’s coming from your core and the kick. Mr. Mason and I are quite challenged by a butt cheek slipping off the seat while turning. Even though I’m well padded, I feel like my butt is complaining from such rough treatment. We swap sides during our workout so both glutes get the same workout. It would just look weird to build muscle on just one side. We are planning to participate in Vogalonga 2014. It is a 30km row through the Grand Canal in Venice and it will be a great challenge for us as a team. None of us are very fit and we are all in different stages of recovery along with our friends and family. We also need new members in the London area, so if you like the sound of it, get in touch.
In the morning, I have pain in many places, particularly my stomach and thighs, which I think shows that I was paddling well. However, I feel like my buttocks are bruised and I can’t think of any other way to find out other than to show them to Mr. Mason. He says, after looking, I think, a little too long that they are fine and without bruises. Clearly my natural filler worked. Rowing has cleared my head and I feel quite energetic and enthusiastic. I certainly don’t feel much on Sundays, but that may also have something to do with the pain in my buttocks… Forward to the next training session!