Fishers, Indiana – A local group of women can participate in an Olympic-style competition despite having breast cancer.
On April 12, members of the Indianapolis SurviveOars will travel to New Zealand to partake in a global dragon boat race.
“We will compete against 80 other teams from around the world,” explained group member, Elizabeth Anderson.
A dragon boat is based on a 2,000-year-old Chinese custom and is 40 feet long with 20 paddlers.
“It happens every four years, just like the Olympics,” Anderson said.
The women maintain their physical activity because they believe it lowers their risk of developing breast cancer again.
“You just get that support and it actually shows other breast cancer survivors that you can live a healthy active life, even with a cancer diagnosis,” she said. “So there’s nothing like the sisterhood. It’s really neat.”
The goal of Indy SurviveOars is to finish in the top 20 teams.
“Four years ago we were in the top 30 when we competed in Italy,” Anderson said.
