Survivor Dragon Boating: A Vehicle to Reclaim and Enhance Life After Treatment for Breast Cancer

Abstract

The authors investigated the psychosocial impact of dragon boat participation on women who have been treated for breast cancer. Open-ended qualitative interviews were completed by 10 new members recruited from two breast cancer survivor dragon boat teams. Our findings indicate that the women's experience of survivor dragon boating surpassed their expectations and offered them hope and increased strength and the ability to regain control of their lives. Key themes emerging from the in-depth interviews that encapsulate the experiences of women in their first season of dragon boating follow: awakening of the self, common bond, regaining control, being uplifted, and transcending the fear of death. The interview data support the emerging hypothesis that dragon boating is a vehicle for improving women's wellness and post-treatment quality of life.

Exercise

“…The participants in our study also reported that exercise was a distraction from a stressful cancer experience. Previous research indicates that women with breast cancer find exercise to be a positive element providing them with a break from the illness 22,31,32 . Mackey Physical activity as a coping strategy in women with breast cancer has been described previously as a way of dealing with difficult emotions 34 and in this way contributes to psychological wellness 14 .…”

The comparative effectiveness of a team-based versus group-based physical activity intervention for cancer survivors

“…Both men and women of varying fitness levels and with no previous experience can participate. Thus far, dragon boating is the only team-based physical activity program studied in cancer survivors, but none of these earlier studies included a comparison group [7,10,[12][13][14].…”

Progressive resistance training in breast cancer: a systematic review of clinical trials

“…In 1996, Dr. Don McKenzie, MD, PhD, a sportsmedicine physician from Vancouver, Canada, formed the first all-breast-cancer-survivor dragon boat team, Abreast in a Boat, and demonstrated that strenuous, upper body exercise in the form of dragon boat training, a predominantly aerobic form of exercise, did not induce or exacerbate lymphedema symptoms [20]. Dragon boat training is now widely advocated as a safe and beneficial form of exercise for survivors of breast cancer [22].…”