Warrior’s Gold

The small resort town of Huntsville was invaded on Saturday August 12. It was an invasion that the town expected, but nonetheless was at times overwhelming at Avery Beach on Hunter’s Bay. Over 200 Breast Cancer Survivors came to Huntsville in search of gold at the Bell Huntsville Dragonboat Festival.

Breast Cancer Survivor teams are becoming commonplace at the larger Dragonboat festivals across the country, but for Huntsville, this was a first. It was also one of the largest gatherings of Survivors in Ontario this season. Eight Breast Cancer Survivor teams set up camp in Avery Park and the local teams must have wondered what these teams were about – all in uniforms with their courageous team names emblazoned on their racing shirts: Dragons Abreast; Survivors Abreast; Chestmates; Busting Out; The Dragon Flies; Barrie’s Ribbons of Hope; Canadians Abreast and The Warriors of Hope.

Over the course of the day, the other competitors and the spectators discovered that these teams of women could not only beat cancer, but were no slouches paddling in a dragonboat. The message for other women (and men) was that there can be a very active life after breast cancer, and that by working together they are a force in the struggle to find a cure.

Spectators and competitors took notice as the first group of four teams left the staging area – all these teams are impressive as the paddles flash in unison as they head out to challenge each other in the race. But the interest increased as the “grandmothers”, as one youngster called them, came down the 500 metre course. And more murmurs from other teams when the Warriors posted a 2.25 time on the board – a time that was better than some of the younger mixed teams.

The carnation ceremony is impressive no matter how many times one sees it, but to see a flotilla of eight dragonboats joined together in a minute of silence for the memorial surely impressed the people on Avery Beach Saturday morning. Only the survivors in the boats and on shore know their thoughts at that moment, but it so often shows on their faces that it says many things to those who observe the ceremony.

Mostly what you see is a defiant courage with only a flicker of sadness for lost friends. These women may have been under the surgeon’s knife, dosed with poisons in the form of chemotherapy, and burned with radiation, some more than once, but they are survivors. They are also individuals who have found a source of power in becoming a team. It is a message they bring, not only to others with breast cancer, but to anyone who is fighting a disease or illness: you can fight, and you can win.

The organizers of the Bell Huntsville festival are to be commended for a great day of racing and fellowship. The venue on Hunter’s Bay is exceptional for dragonboat racing; the grounds and concessions were in great condition; the event well-run and the weather perfect! They raised a large sum for their charities and surely raised the profile of the town in the eyes of the visiting teams. They produced one of the better event programmes I have seen at a dragonboat festival.

Being the first time Huntsville had a Breast Cancer Survivor section in their event, they tried a slightly different format for declaring a winner among the eight teams. Instead of a final heat of the top teams, they decided that the team posting the best time of the day would win the Survivor’s Trophy. These Breast Cancer Survivor teams love to compete against each other and there are some fierce rivalries just under the surface of good camaraderie. There were a few murmurs of discontent over the format but in the in end, the teams realised that we all race against time and none of us win.

And the gold rush? The Warriors of Hope, North Bay’s (and Powassan, Sturgeon Falls, East Ferris, Callander and Bonfield) dragonboat racing team won the Breast Cancer Survivor Trophy. They added a second medal as runner-up in their open Gold division. Well done, Warriors.