Breast Friends Dragon Boating

Breast cancer is a scary and life-altering diagnosis that 1 in 8 women in Canada will experience (Canadian Cancer Society). The changes that impact your body following cancer are profound and lifelong. Breast Friends accepts women of all shapes, sizes, and abilities and trains to compete in Dragon Boat Festivals in Alberta, Canada, and Internationally. The professionally-led dryland fitness and professionally coached on-the-water paddle training allow women with a shared cancer experience to gain fitness and confidence in their bodies in a supportive group setting. Attending a traditional gym following cancer, especially if your body has been altered from surgery, can be daunting and expensive. At Breast Friends, women are welcomed and supported in their fitness journey following cancer in an inclusive environment where fees are kept to a minimum ($100 per year). Breast Friends aims to keep fees low to ensure cost is not a barrier to women recovering from cancer being physically active. As such, community funding through grants is critical to keep the program running at an affordable rate and keep women paddling together and supporting each other as breast cancer survivors.

In the years following the impacts of the pandemic, Breast Friends has seen an increase in participants interested in their program due to their Breast Cancer diagnosis, this also includes younger women with the diagnosis. The Women In Motion grant supported costs associated with coaching and training. This year 67 women participated in the program through dry land winter training and their outdoor season.