DRAGON DIVAS OF SAINT PAUL
Dragon Divas
St. Paul, Minnesota
About Dragon Divas and Dragon Boating
The Dragon Divas demonstrate that a full and active life is indeed achievable after a diagnosis of breast cancer through the sport of dragon boating and with activities to connect in supportive and fun environments.
Founded in 2006 with 8 breast cancer survivors on board, the Dragon Divas today have more than 90 members. We embody our message by advocating year-round physical fitness, racing dragon boats at regional events each season, and promoting education and outreach activities through the year. Winning races isn’t our primary goal; instead, we are a unique group of women who enjoy the sport of dragon boat racing to empower each member to improve her personal physical and mental fitness.
Dragon boats are long, colorful vessels adorned with a dragon head at the front and tail at the back, and room for 20 paddlers, a drummer and a stern. Dragon boat racing became connected with breast cancer in 1996 as a result of studies challenging the prevailing medical thinking that women treated for breast cancer should avoid rigorous upper body exercise. The studies not only debunked the myths about exercise, they revealed that participants experienced physical and mental health benefits as a result of dragon boat paddling. There are currently more than 290 Breast Cancer Survivor (BCS) dragon boat racing teams around the world.
Mission Statement
The mission of Dragon Divas is to demonstrate that a full and active life is possible after a breast cancer diagnosis. Our organization provides an opportunity for members to connect with other breast cancer survivors in a supportive environment to enhance physical, emotional and spiritual health.
We are dedicated to promoting the early detection of breast cancer and raising awareness in the community of the importance of physical fitness in fighting this disease and in our survivorship. Through our message and actions, Dragon Divas honor the memory of those who have died from the disease and the blessings they have bestowed on our survivorship.
Core Values
As a team of thriving breast cancer survivors, we live our core values:
HEALTH: We emphasize the benefits of exercise in living longer and thriving following a diagnosis of breast cancer and demonstrate how to live a life without limits following the diagnosis.
AWARENESS: We promote awareness in the wider community about the importance of early detection and the benefits of an active lifestyle in fighting this disease.
SUPPORT: We are dedicated to helping survivors attain their personal well-being in body and spirit. We support and encourage each other’s journey through mentorship and our unique camaraderie.
REMEMBRANCE: We honor those who have gone before us for what they have taught us about living with and dying from this disease, and what their journey has taught our physicians and researchers about curing this disease.
TEAMWORK: We pull together as a team to live our values and attain our goals.
HONESTY & SPORTSMANSHIP: We conduct ourselves with authenticity tempered by compassion in the spirit of love. We demonstrate our spirit by being gracious in victory and defeat.
Our Membership and Geographic Area Served
Through our outreach programs we encourage all breast cancer survivors to live active and vibrant lives throughout St. Paul, Minneapolis, and surrounding communities including western Wisconsin. Each season we participate in Dragon Boat festivals in Minnesota, the broader upper Midwest region, and nationally.
Every 4 years, the Dragon Divas participate in the International Breast Cancer Paddling Commission (IBCPC) festival where paddlers from around the world gather to celebrate survivorship. April 10-16, 2023, twenty-five Dragon Divas joined 2500 BCS from 21 countries around the world in Lake Karapiro, New Zealand in the spirit of friendly competition. This was the Dragon Divas 4th international festival. Previously we have traveled to Peterborough, Ontario, Sarasota, Florida and Florence, Italy for IBCPC international festivals.
The next IBCPC festival site has already been chosen:
Lake Bourget in the French Alps. The Dragon Divas will be there!
Dragon Divas in 2023
2023 was a full and rich year for the Dragon Divas. Our coaching team guided 3 practices a week during the paddling season and training crew hosted our third annual 2-day paddling camp. Along with the International Festival in New Zealand, we competed fiercely at five festivals at home: Bemidji, MN, Minocqua, WI, Superior, WI, Dubuque, IA, Las Vegas, Nevada. Just as important as the racing were the relationships developed, enhanced and extended through our time on and off the boat.
Social opportunities included a variety of online and in-person connections. Among them, members expanded their critical reading skills with a book club. We gathered to socialize and support each other coming together for meals, coffee hours, game nights, movies, plays, and bonfires. Off-season, members participated in a variety of weekly strength and fitness training, online or in-person, including walks, runs, water aerobics, TRX, Pilates, HIIT, guided weight training.
Fifteen new members were introduced to the excitement and technique of dragon boating in our 18th season.
In 2023 community outreach efforts took us to the University of Minnesota Survivorship Conference, Breast Cancer Education Association, and a dozen health-care clinics. We also collaborated with community organizations to support breast cancer patients with particularly challenging personal situations.
Looking Forward
2024 is our 19th season, and the Dragon Divas will be on the water supporting each other and our communities. We warmly welcome new survivors and invite you to get in touch to learn more. Paddles up!
