KC Pink Warriors paddle downstream to Austin for Dragon Boat Racing

Courtesy of KC Pink Warriors

Dragon Boat Racing traces its lineage back an estimated 2000 years in China, however in the past 30 years it has had a different lineage. The contests has become the sport of choice for many women with breast cancer.

“The reason for Dragon Boat racing in patients with cancer, and specifically breast cancer, is that a doctor in Canada did a study about how movement after diagnosis of breast cancer, not only helps people be more physically and socially and maybe even spiritually fit, but it didn’t cause harm that was thought to maybe come after surgery when removing lymph nodes and breast tissue,” says Heather Sebel, a paddler and  KC Pink Warriors’ coaching staff member.

In comes the KC Pink Warriors—Not just the first full-time Missouri/Kansas team comprised of female cancer survivors, but the first local team in general, according to Sebel. They partnered with Great White North Dragon Boat, who hosts a variety of festivals and positioned them as the official Kansas City boat racing team.

Of course, Kansas City is not without any experience in Dragon Boat racing—There is an annual Dragon Boat Race at Brush Creek every year, with this year’s landing on Saturday, June 15.

The two events the KC Pink Warriors are scheduled for so far is the Austin Dragon Boat Festival, in Austin, Texas on April 27, and the KC Dragon Boat Festival on Shawnee Lake, coming up September 28.

The sport is one with a fairly low barrier to entry. “We have people on our specific team ranging from the age of early 30s, to the oldest people who are in their 70s, so it’s all ages, all athletic abilities,” Sebel says.

Anyone can participate, so why breast cancer survivors? Sebel has metastatic breast cancer—A form of cancer where many treatments affect hormone balance and, in general, just make an individual very stiff and sore.

“So getting out there and moving is very, very helpful for those things. Is it going to cure your cancer? No, but it is going to help you stay physically fit. You are stronger and more able to fight things if you need to,” she says.

Courtesy of KC Pink Warriors

The goal is to help empower, not just the body, but spirit to help fight the cancer in an enjoyable passtime. A bit of extra positivity can go a long way.

The season itself lasts from March through October. “We are out on the water for an hour to an hour and a half, paddling through. The time we get off the water, we’re sweaty, our bodies are sore, but it feels good,” Sebel says.

While anyone can join, the sport gets can get extremely competitive. In fact, at a previous Summer Olympics, “They did an exhibition of dragon boat racing with the intent of hopefully bringing it as an actual Olympic event,” she says.

Each year, more and more eyes are looking to this sport, but one of its major downsides is being so heavily weather dependent.

“It’s hard for us here in the Midwest because we have frozen lakes,” Sebel says. This locks any Midwest teams into a March through October schedule, unless they are able and willing to pickup and move somewhere warmer for practice.

This hasn’t discouraged the KC Pink Warriors, however. They are going on their fifth year competing and have actually brought home three gold medals, along with one silver and one bronze in the 2022 season.

Being able to achieve all of this while fighting cancer is amazing, that goes without saying, but the KC Pink Warriors are doing more than that—They are helping further advance the sport.

For those interested in joining the festival in September, they are still accepting applications. It is $75-85 for the basic competition, or $155-$175 that comes with four to five weeks worth of classes.