Women paddle dragon boat to fight breast cancer

A dragon boat team in east China's Shanghai consisting of women who have battled breast cancer has attracted over 6,600 people to participate in dragon boat paddling since its inception over 20 years ago.

Breast cancer survivors receive training. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Some members of the team competed in the 14th International Dragon Boat Federation Club Crew World Championships in Italy in September 2024.

The team for the competition, formed in 2024, brought together members from the dragon boat team in Shanghai, along with teammates from southwest China's Yunnan Province and east China's Zhejiang Province. It was the only team of its kind in Asia, made up entirely of breast cancer patients, competing at the event.

In preparation for the event, the team underwent 24 training sessions in less than two months. Enduring the scorching summer heat, with temperatures reaching around 40 degrees Celsius for several consecutive days, they trained for nearly six hours each day.

"When we first got the invitation to compete, many of the patients' first reaction was, 'How could breast cancer patients possibly row a dragon boat? What a joke!'" said Shi Yuebo, head of the dragon boat team. Most team members have undergone mastectomies. Many hold disability certificates, and even lifting their arms is a struggle.

At first, Shi thought dragon boating was a "fantasy." However, when the opportunity to compete abroad came, she encouraged her teammates, saying, "We must 'focus on participation,' but we also must give it our all. We want to show the world the strong and optimistic spirit of Chinese breast cancer patients!"

After each grueling training session, the trainers were left with sore muscles and blisters on their hands and backsides. Even when they fell into the water during practice, they just picked themselves up and climbed back onto the boat.

Women suffering from breast cancer attend an African drum class. (People's Daily/Rong Yi)

"Normally, I watch athletes on TV and never thought that one day I would also become an athlete appearing on TV," said 63-year-old Huang Guiying, a member of the dragon boat team. Huang stepped out of the country for the first time in 2024 for the event.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, Huang underwent surgery, followed by eight rounds of chemotherapy, 25 sessions of radiation, and 18 sessions of targeted therapy. Watching her hair fall out in clumps, she didn't even want to step outside.

When encouraged to join the dragon boat team, Huang initially doubted herself. However, with a "why not" attitude, she decided to give it a try. For over two years, she has faithfully attended weekend practices without fail.

Today, her arms are strong and her hair has grown back thick. What started as fear and doubt has blossomed into a passion for dragon boating, as well as playing African drums, and volunteer work.

On Feb. 16, the dragon boat team members in Shanghai received training on how to provide psychological counseling for cancer patients after surgery and how to help them recover better.

Before the 2025 Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, the team members volunteered at Changhai Hospital in Shanghai, where they provided gifts to breast cancer patients, shared their own cancer-fighting stories through dragon boat paddling, and invited the patients to join the sport after their discharge.

Chen Jing, head nurse of the Breast & Thyroid Surgery Department at Changhai Hospital, said that the hospital has been building a platform for volunteer services since 2019. They communicate a day in advance to confirm the list of patients requiring volunteer services and choose volunteers who have undergone similar surgeries to offer more personalized support.

Chen said that the emotional support provided through volunteer services can help patients overcome fear and enhance their confidence in recovery.

Volunteers make items for patients to keep them warm. (People's Daily/Rong Yi)