Dragon boats ride Latin wave of popularity

Healing benefits

The vigorous sport quickly has attracted avid paddlers looking to stay fit. But somewhat unexpectedly it has also attracted enthusiasts who have discovered its significant healing benefits. This is particularly true among women recovering from breast cancer.

While team training is demanding, dragon boat groups have helped breast cancer survivors thrive — overcoming not just cancer, but any doubts about their capabilities on the water.

This was the goal of Floribeth Campos de Finizio, president of Pink Warriors Panama, when she started the dragon boat team with 14 members five years ago.

Originally setting out to inspire survivors to "move forward after cancer", Pink Warriors Panama has grown to a 40-member team.

"Many of the women who row today had never done sports before, so this is a great achievement for a group like ours," de Finizio told China Daily. "We are incredibly proud of everything we've achieved. We proved that it's possible to become athletes after cancer."

A growing pool of academic research has shown that dragon boat racing can make a significant difference in helping survivors who have undergone breast cancer treatment or surgery to recover.

Research pioneered by Don McKenzie at Canada's University of British Columbia in 1996 found paddling helps cancer survivors avoid painful swelling caused by lymph node removal.

Inspired by McKenzie's work and subsequent research, "pink boat" events have sprouted across Latin America. Teams promote the fitness and team-building benefits of joining a dragon boat team while spreading the word about its health benefits.