Promoting health, well-being and life after breast cancer, Dallas United Crew is forming a dragon boat team for breast cancer survivors. DUC PINK is open for participants now, with paddling sessions to start in late October.
There are over 150 dragon boat teams for breast cancer survivors worldwide, with festivals and competitions where teams can socialize and race. This will be the first one in the DFW area. A dragon boat team is made up of 20 paddlers sitting two abreast and a steersperson in a 40-foot long, canoe-like boat moving to the beat of a drummer at the bow. The boat is very stable, and no prior paddling experience is required.
According to Debbie Bunch Kehoe, who will be the steersperson for DUC PINK, “I was on a BCS team in Portland and moved to Dallas in 2006. I am so excited about this new team, and after 10 long years I can’t wait to get back in the boat. Being part of a BCS team is about thriving and not just surviving. It’s about lifelong friends, improving your mental and physical health, and reaching a community of the newly-diagnosed to give them hope.”
Katie Maciulewicz-Gass, Ph.D., whose experience includes coaching a BCS team in Canada, will coach DUC PINK. She also races with the DUC Delite competitive dragon boat team. Coach Katie adds, “Our goal is to empower women beyond breast cancer. We want to create a community where teammates can come together and work together as one on the water while also improving their fitness. Studies on the benefits of dragon boating for breast cancer survivors by Dr. Don McKenzie at the University of British Columbia found that his participants were happier and healthier at the culmination of the program. There’s a wonderful mental aspect to this sport.”
Join us for camaraderie, community and improved fitness on the water at White Rock Lake. Email Coach Katie at dragonboating@DallasUnitedCrew.com for details and questions.
Transforming Lives. DUC has been building community and promoting fitness and teamwork on White Rock Lake since 2002, offering a variety of rowing and dragon boating programs for adults and youth that strengthen participants both mentally and physically. To learn more, visit www.DallasUnitedCrew.org. DUC is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
But We Can Do More. A capital campaign is currently underway to raise funds to build a new Community Boathouse on White Rock Lake, making oar and paddle sports accessible to an even broader audience including those with disabilities. Visit the DUC website for more information.
Contact: Donna Swanson / Media Relations / Phone 214.202.8881 / dswanson003@tx.rr.com