Dragons Abreast Illawarras tarted in 2002 when a group of breast cancer survivors from the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) paddled at the Shellharbour Festival of Sport Dragon Boating Regatta and enjoyed it so much and found that benefits for health and fitness were so great that we started Dragons Abreast Illawarra, the third group to form a DA Australia group after Darwin and Canberra.
Our Motto was, and still is, "Friendship, Fitness and Fun"
We paddled in Yellow (donated ) training shirts until our "Pink" Lighthouse shirts were designed
We became the "Pink" Ladies, paddling in special Dragons Abreast categories at most Regattas and started doing "Pink" Bunnings Barbecues as a Fundraiser because the IBCSG said the Dragon Boaters' can do that. We hired a boat from DBNSW and had 2 sweeps come down from Sydney to help us until two husbands learnt to sweep and one survivor did a coaching course
Mike, an experienced dragon boater and sweep from Adelaide, saw us at one of the early Shellharbour Regattas and asked if we would like some help to which of course we readily agreed
May ( a local naturopath ) also gave us a lot of help
Our husbands became supporters and joined us in the boat when we needed to make a team
More people became interested. We were only allowed a given proportion of survivors / supporters by DAA rules. As a result in 2007 we decided to form the Illawarra Dragon Boat Club for anyone so then the "Reds" started.
The two groups have separate Committees and Constitutions. We share the costs equally as well as the equipment that we have all worked hard for.
We paddle ( train ) together as "Reds" and mainly race in Regattas together as the IDBC as there are very few specific Breast Cancer races any more. We say we are "lucky" because we can paddle in both.
We no longer hold a separate "Pink Paddle". The first Saturday of every month is now a dedicated “Pink Paddle” with both “Pinks” and “Reds” in the boat when we have a one hour training session concentrating on technique and fitness and which will give some of our older / injured "Pink Ladies" the opportunity to keep in touch.
This would also be a good opportunity for anyone to come and try Dragon Boating. The paddle is followed by a social get together at morning tea.