Team History
In 2008, Three Rivers District Health Department received a grant from Lexington Komen Affiliate for the Cure. The grant required Three Rivers District Health Department to acquire a pink dragon boat and trailer, to form Kentucky’s first breast cancer survivor dragon boat racing team, and make the boat available for special events including parades and static displays. Three Rivers District Health Department created a presentation and took it to health departments and support groups in nine counties. More than 30 women were recruited to try out for the team. Beginning in February 2009, the team practiced weekly at Northern Kentucky University. As weather permitted, the team continued practicing biweekly on the lake at A.J. Jolly Park throughout the season.
In 2012 the team purchased its second dragon boat for use by the support team. The support team now gets on the lake at the same time as the Kentucky Thorough-Breasts. Soon there will be some healthy competition on AJ Jolly Lake!
Dragon Boat Racing History
Dragon Boat Racing has ancient Chinese origins and its history has been traced back more than 2000 years. The first participants were superstitious Chinese villagers who celebrated the 5th day of the 5th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. Racing was held to avert misfortune and encourage the rains needed for prosperity – and the object of their worship was the dragon, the dragon of Asia has traditionally been a symbol of water. It is said to rule the rivers and seas and dominate the clouds and rains.
Over the years a second story was integrated to give the festival a dual meaning – the touching saga of Qu Yuan, Legend has it that poet Qu Yuan was from the kingdom of Chu after the King fell under the influence of corrupt ministers. Qu Yuan spend many years wandering the countryside and composing great poetry until, on learning of his kingdom’s defeat, he leapt into the Mi Lo River holding a great rock in a display of his heartfelt sorrow. The people loved Qu Yuan very much and raced out in their fishing boats to the middle of the river in a vain attempt to save him. They beat on drums and splashed their oars in the water, trying to keep the dragon’s away from his body.
Dr. Don McKenzie, a sports medicine physician at the University of British Columbia in Canada, launched Abreast In A Boat in 1996 to test the myth that repetitive upper-body exercise in women treated for breast cancer encourages lymphedema. The boat team was launched after a cardiorespiratory fitness levels study was conducted on two groups of women – one group had been treated for breast cancer, the other group had no history of breast cancer.
Dragon boating was chosen as the venue for several reasons. It is strenuous, repetitive, upper body exercise, it provides an opportunity to work with a large group at one time, and it is an esthetically pleasing activity that is fun.
Dr. McKenzie believed that by following a special exercise and training program, women could avoid lymphedema and enjoy active, full lives. Many of these women had anecdotal stories about the don’ts they had been told after treatment. As the program was followed participants were carefully monitored by a sports medicine physician, a physiotherapist, and a nurse. Dr. McKenzie’s theory was proven correct. No new cases of lymphedema occurred and none of the existing cases became worse.
From a medical study involving one boat of 25 women in 1996, breast cancer dragon boating now reaches around the world, with over 100 teams in 12 countries, and continually growing.
Today dragon boat racing has become the world’s fastest growing water sport.