IBCPC Internationally Abreast Paddler Information

IBCPC Internationally Abreast
Paddler Information
About the IBCPC
The International
and honoured to
participate in the
London on June
Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission (IBCPC) is proud
bring a team of paddlers from around the world to
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames in
3, 2012.
Representatives from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, South
Africa and the United States will join together in a dragon boat to celebrate
this momentous occasion.
The IBCPC is an international organisation whose mandate is to encourage
the establishment of breast cancer dragon boat teams within the framework
of participation and inclusiveness.
The Commission supports and encourages the development of recreational
dragon boat paddling as a contribution to a healthy lifestyle. Its paddlers
are a visible demonstration that those diagnosed with and treated for breast
cancer can lead full and active lives.
What started with one boat of twenty-four women in Vancouver, Canada in
1996 has evolved into the Commission which currently has one hundred
and ten member teams from a dozen countries.
And, the movement continues to grow!
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Contents
Don McKenzie, Vancouver, Canada - Founder, Abreast In A Boat, 1996, an exercise investigation that
exploded around the world.................................................................................................................................. 4
Jane Frost, Vancouver, Canada - IBCPC president, a member of that first team, Abreast In A Boat ............ 4
Jo Parry, Brisbane, Australia - IBCPC Vice President, an active member of Dragons Abreast Australia since
2003 .................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Jenny Yule, Vancouver, Canada - IBCPC Secretary-Treasurer, Internationally Abreast Captain, active with
Abreast In A Boat since 1997.............................................................................................................................. 5
Betty Solley, Philadelphia, USA - IBCPC Development & Membership Director, paddles with Against the
Wind since 2003 ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Eleanor Nielson, Toronto, Canada - IBCPC Founding Steering Committee member, co-founder of Dragons
Abreast, Toronto, 1997...................................................................................................................................... 6
Pam Blum – Burlington, Vermont, USA - Since 2004 paddles with Dragonheart Vermont ....................... 7
Corina Bradley – Mount Samson, Queensland, Australia - Paddles competitively, coaches Missabitttititti
who will paddle in Hong Kong in July 2012 ....................................................................................................... 7
Gillian Brown – Penrith, Australia - Paddles with Dragons Abreast Penrith since 2006 ............................ 8
Jan Caldwell – Penrith, Australia - Paddling since 2005, paddled fifty-five kilometers on the Ord River in
Western Australia, 2012 .................................................................................................................................... 8
Carol Dale – Vancouver, Canada - Member of the first team Abreast In A Boat, 1996,, now coaching novice
paddlers ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Linda Dyer – Burlington, Vermont, USA - Founder of Dragonheart Vermont, Director of Lake Champlain
Dragon Boat Festival, a community charity event ............................................................................................ 9
Magda Macchi – Rome, Italy - Paddles with Pink Butterfly since 2003, now coaching and a qualified helm
......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Mary McAvoy – Wellington, New Zealand - Paddling since 2002 with CanSurvive and New Zealand’s
representative to the IBCPC............................................................................................................................. 10
Anne Matthews, Philadelphia, USA - Paddling since 2001, coaching with Philadelphia Flying Phoenix .. 11
Susan Rowe – Dublin, Ireland - At thirty-nine our youngest, paddling since 2010 with Plurabelle Paddlers in
its inaugural year............................................................................................................................................. 11
Deb Stevenson – Auckland, New Zealand - Since 2006 paddling with Busting with Life , New Zealand’s
founding team, currently team manager ....................................................................................................... 12
Judy Wilson – Cape Town, South Africa - Paddling since 2006 with amabele Belles, South Africa’s first
breast cancer dragon boat team ..................................................................................................................... 12
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Don McKenzie, Vancouver, Canada
that exploded around the world
- Founder, Abreast In A Boat, 1996, an exercise investigation
Dr Don McKenzie is the sports medicine physician who founded
and coached “Abreast In A Boat”, the first breast cancer dragon
boat team of twenty-four women in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada in 1996. Don wanted to test his theory that upper body
exercise should be good for people who had been treated for
breast cancer. He was right. The breast cancer dragon boat
movement has become an international phenomenon.
Currently Don is Professor and Director of the Division of Sports
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia
in Vancouver. Don’s areas of expertise are: clinical exercise
physiology, breast cancer and exercise, and pulmonary physiology.
Don has been physician to the Canadian National Canoe Team
since 1981. He has attended each summer Olympics since 1984
and will be back in London in July.
Don continues to paddle his kayak several times a week and also
enjoys sailing and surfing. He is married and has two grown
children.
Don's work has enriched the quality of life for people living with
breast cancer all around the world. The women and their families
remain grateful for his research work and for his gentle presence
in their lives.
Jane Frost, Vancouver, Canada - IBCPC president, a member of that first team, Abreast In A Boat
Jane Frost is one of the twenty-four women living with breast
cancer who, in 1996, “slipped” into a dragon boat, establishing the
team Abreast In A Boat and founding a Canadian legend and an
international movement.
After the first season in Vancouver, Jane persuaded Dr Don
McKenzie and her team mates to paddle in another festival. This
time it was in Wellington, New Zealand. They did so. The rest is
history. Jane is the first elected President of the International
Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission, an organisation whose
mandate is to encourage the establishment of breast cancer
dragon boat teams within the framework of participation and
inclusiveness. www.ibcpc.com
Jane was first diagnosed in 1986 and is now living with
metastatic disease. She has a full-time job representing Canada’s
interests in settling land claims with Canada’s First Nations. Jane
is a proud mother, mother-in-law and grandmother. She loves
travelling and spending time with family and friends.
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Jo Parry, Brisbane, Australia - IBCPC Vice President, an active member of Dragons Abreast
Australia since 2003
Jo was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 at the age of
thirty-seven. In 2003 she was introduced to dragon boating and
has been an active member of Dragons Abreast Australia
(DAA) ever since. DAA is a national organisation of breast
cancer survivors who promote breast cancer awareness through
dragon boating. Since joining, Jo has contributed to the
organisation in a number of voluntary roles.
She has been involved with organising numerous events –
including Abreast in Australia 2007, where approximately two
thousand breast cancer survivor paddlers from around the world
joined DAA at Lake Kawana in Queensland. Jo is currently
Vice President of the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’
Commission.
Even though it is some years since her diagnosis, Jo loves
what dragon boating for breast cancer survivors represents and
its importance to provide a means for women to transition into
full and active lives following their breast cancer diagnosis and
treatment. She has been witness to some amazing changes in
women - both physically and emotionally.
Jo works full time in a global organisation within the Health
Information Technology industry as a Solution Specialist.
Jenny Yule, Vancouver, Canada - IBCPC Secretary-Treasurer, Internationally Abreast Captain,
active with Abreast In A Boat since 1997
Jenny Yule, born and educated in Wales, was diagnosed with
breast cancer in 1982 when her children were four and seven.
Since 1997 she has paddled with Abreast In A Boat (AIAB)
where she has captained and managed teams and currently
mentors coaches and novices which she loves to do. During her
first season she realised the enormous benefits for all those
women literally “in the same boat”, the significance of
inclusiveness and participation, the instant camaraderie, the
laughter, the understanding, the mutual support, the physical
benefits, all of which continue to hold true some fifteen years
later.
With this in mind, she supported and encouraged teams in
England, Italy, Hong Kong, and Poland and was fortunate to be
at the launch of the first team in the United Kingdom in 2004.
She is IBCPC Secretary–Treasurer and Captain of Internationally
Abreast. Jenny is proud and honoured to be participating in the
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant and to be part of a team
reflecting the global extent to which the benefits of healthy
exercise by breast cancer survivors has come to be realised.
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Betty Solley, Philadelphia, USA - IBCPC Development & Membership Director, paddles with
Against the Wind since 2003
Betty is a retired teacher and grandmother of nine with number
ten soon on the way. She has found dragon boat paddling to be
another passion and has been a member of the Against the
Wind (ATW) breast cancer survivors’ team of the Philadelphia
Flying Phoenix Dragon Boat Association since 2003. Betty enjoys
the camaraderie and friendship of the sport and is looking
forward to new adventures with friends at dragon boat camp in
Florida this spring.
Betty participated with ATW in the Vancouver, Canada 2005,
Caloundra, Australia 2007 and Peterborough, Canada 2010,
breast cancer survivor festivals as well as many festivals
throughout the USA. As Development and Membership Director of
the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission, Betty has
brought many breast cancer survivor teams from all over the
globe to the IBCPC. She is honoured to participate in the
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Flotilla in June.
Eleanor Nielson, Toronto, Canada - IBCPC Founding Steering Committee member, co-founder of
Dragons Abreast, Toronto, 1997
Eleanor co-founded Dragons Abreast, Toronto, in 1997 after
meeting some “originals” from Abreast In A Boat at a breast
cancer conference. Their enthusiasm was infectious and she
determined the Toronto women with breast cancer would reap
benefits from dragon boating. She was right. Dragons Abreast
joined the growing number of breast cancer teams in the late
1990’s.
Eleanor guided the publication of How to Ride a Dragon: 22
women with breast cancer tell their stories by Michelle Tocher.
The second edition of this inspiring book is available at
www.lulu.com. Eleanor has organised several Internationally
Abreast crews and is currently a member of the IBCPC Advisory
Committee.
Eleanor was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989 at 51. She
retired as National Director of Programs, Canadian Cancer
Society in 1991. She spends her non-paddling time volunteering
for cancer and community organizations, gardening, hiking and
enjoying time with her husband, Charles and their combined
family of five couples with six grandchildren. She is a passionate
advocate for more cancer prevention research and changing
Canada’s policy on exporting asbestos. She received the
Governor-General’s Caring Canadian Award in 2009.
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Pam Blum – Burlington, Vermont, USA - Since 2004 paddles with Dragonheart Vermont
Pam is very happy to be in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Pageant representing breast cancer survivors from around the
globe! She has enjoyed paddling with Dragonheart Vermont
since 2004 when she also joined its Board and has been a
Board member since then. She has had the opportunity to
attend international breast cancer dragon boat festivals in
Vancouver, Canada 2005, Caloundra, Australia 2007 and
Peterborough, Canada 2010.
Pam feels passionate about sharing how wonderful life can be
even after breast cancer. She relishes time with her two sons,
wonderful daughter-inlaw, and precious granddaughter, Victoria.
She works as the Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration
for the College of Education and Social Services at the
University of Vermont. When not paddling, she stays active
throughout the year hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and
maintaining her country yard of several acres.
Corina Bradley – Mount Samson, Queensland, Australia - Paddles competitively, coaches
Missabitttititti who will paddle in Hong Kong in July 2012
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 at the age of thirty-nine
and, while going through chemotherapy and radiation, Corina
met some marvellous women who ‘did’ dragon boat racing. It
took them three years to convince her to ‘have a go’ at the
sport and in October 2005 she attended a ‘come and try’ day
with ‘the Pink Ladies’ at Brisbane River Dragons. She has not
looked back. After paddling socially for a while Corina took up
competitive dragon boat racing. Since then she has gained
selection on her club, state and national teams and won both
national and international titles.
Corina is an accredited sweep and coaches her local breast
cancer team affectionately known as ‘MISSABITTITITTI’. Its next
adventure will take them to Hong Kong in July 2012. Home is
Mount Samson in a most beautiful part of Queensland, known
as Samford Valley. When not teaching, Corina is a qualified “Ka
Huna” body massage therapist. Born into a sporty family with
three siblings, her family have supported her every step of the
way. Her parents have followed her to two World Club Crew
Championships in Penang 2008 and Macau 2010.
Corina’s wonderful daughter and fabulous grandchildren keep her
young and healthy and help her focus on what is important in
life. To represent Australia at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Pageant as a breast cancer survivor is the icing on her
“Celebratory Cake of Life”.
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Gillian Brown – Penrith, Australia - Paddles with Dragons Abreast Penrith since 2006
In 2005 Gillian was diagnosed with breast cancer, and, in 2006
after completing her treatment, joined 'Dragons Abreast Penrith',
where she began training and competing in dragon boating at the
International Regatta Centre. She went on to compete at National
and International dragon boat regattas. Gillian is the coordinator
of 'Dragons Abreast Penrith' and is responsible for helping
women transition back into the community after breast cancer
diagnosis and treatment.
Gillian is a fifty-one year old mother of three adult sons. She has
run her family business, Stained Glass Overlay, in Penrith, New
South Wales for over twenty-two years. Gillian is an
accomplished equestrian and snow skier. She enjoys skiing in
Canada, Japan, USA and Australia. She loves travelling and
meeting new people in new places.
Jan Caldwell – Penrith, Australia - Paddling since 2005, paddled fifty-five kilometers on the Ord
River in Western Australia, 2012
Jan worked for the Queensland Department of Education as a
teacher and librarian for twenty-seven years before moving to
Blackheath in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. There
she pursued a successful career in art. Her paintings frequently
focus on native flora in its natural environment which has involved
many trips in exploring her subjects. She has adapted
her motifs to functional ceramic shapes, distinctive for their
richness of colour and depth of kiln fired glazes.
Jan's cancer journey began in 2004. The treatment left her with a
seemingly incurable infection which reduced her quality of life.
Introduced to dragon boating in Brisbane by her sister, also a
breast cancer survivor, Jan fell in love with the sport. Six weeks
after she started to paddle, the infection disappeared, and has
stayed away since.
She is living proof of the benefits of paddling and is committed to
spreading the message enticing all survivors to try it. A regular
regatta competitor around Australia and internationally, in 2010,
Jan paddled the fifty-five kilometre marathon down the Ord River
in Western Australia, so -bring on the Thames!
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Carol Dale – Vancouver, Canada - Member of the first team Abreast In A Boat, 1996,, now coaching
novice paddlers
In 1996 Carol was one of the twenty-four women who began
paddling in a dragon boat as an exercise investigation into the
possibility of lymphedema. Having been diagnosed with breast
cancer in 1991 and being active in numerous breast cancer
outreach programs she eagerly became a member of that first
team, Abreast In A Boat.
Now a coach Carol particularly chooses to coach novice
paddlers, relishing the moment they begin to regain trust in their
bodies and take control of their lives again. A particular delight is
the visible relief she sees on the faces of their families as they
watch from the shore. She finds every year with the novices as
magical as it was for her in her first year.
Retired after a forty-four year career as a bookseller, Carol loves
to travel, to spend time with friends, and, of course, to read. She
is honoured to be paddling in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Pageant on the Thames.
Linda Dyer – Burlington, Vermont, USA - Founder of Dragonheart Vermont, Director of Lake
Champlain Dragon Boat Festival, a community charity event
Linda did not know one person with breast cancer when she
was diagnosed. Today, almost everyone she spends time with is
a breast cancer survivor!
Linda is the founder of Dragonheart Vermont, a one hundred
and sixty member breast cancer and survivor dragon boat
organistion in Burlington, Vermont. She also serves as the
Director of the Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival, a
community charity event. This is fully supported by Dragonheart:
it is a true labor of LOVE!
In the last six years, the Festival has raised over $550,000 to
support cancer needs in the community. In 2011, Dragonheart
identified a critical need for ongoing support for cancer survivors
in their area. The doors opened in March 2012 for Survivorship
Now, Dragonheart’s community wellness centre aimed
at programs to empower cancer survivors. It is the team’s true
labour of LIFE!
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Magda Macchi – Rome, Italy - Paddles with Pink Butterfly since 2003, now coaching and a qualified
helm
Magda has been a member of Rome’s Pink Butterfly since 2003
when she met the founder of the breast cancer dragon boat
movement in Italy, Orlanda Cappelli. Orlanda had, by chance, met
the breast cancer dragon boat team, Internationally Abreast, for which
she subsequently drummed, at the International Dragon Boat
Federation (IDBF) World Club Crew Championships in Rome in 2002.
This event was the first time an international breast cancer team,
crewed by Canadians and Australians had paddled in an IDBF event
and it inspired Orlanda to start a dragon boat team in Rome.
Magda has participated in numerous events including the Italian
Dragon Boat Federation and European Championships in 2008. In
2010 she completed the Federal instructor and the Helmsman courses
for dragon boating and has been coaching the Pink Butterfly for the
past two years.
Keeping Orlanda’s international connection alive, Magda is proud to
be representing Italian breast cancer dragon boat paddlers. She has
had three diagnoses of breast cancer: in 1999 aged forty five years,
in 2003 and then again in 2007. Magda dealt with her breast cancer
with strength and determination, supported by her wonderful husband.
Mary McAvoy – Wellington, New Zealand- Paddling since 2002 with CanSurvive and New Zealand’s
representative to the IBCPC
Mary McAvoy diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 was an
inaugural member of the CanSurvive Dragon Boat Team for breast
cancer survivors in 2002.
Subsequently having paddled extensively at the international level,
administration of the sport is also a passion. Mary is involved on
the New Zealand Dragon Boat Association Board as Director of
Breast Cancer and is the New Zealand representative to the
International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission. “Who would
have believed all those years ago when I first picked up a paddle
that so much would unfold for me. I am absolutely thrilled to be
attending the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant”
As Managing Director of a Medical Company assisting women
diagnosed with breast cancer to move forward, Mary believes that
adversity can reveal hidden strength.
When not dragon boating Mary’s main interests, along with
husband Bob McAvoy, revolve around boating, kayaking and
cycling.
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Anne Matthews, Philadelphia, USA - Paddling since 2001, coaching with Philadelphia Flying
Phoenix
Anne is celebrating fifteen years of breast cancer survivorship. A
happily married mother of three sons, in 1997 she could not have
foreseen the blessings breast cancer would bring into her life.
Among these is the chance to meet and to know many strong,
courageous women determined to fight a disease of epidemic
proportions.
Breast cancer introduced her to dragon boats in 2001 when she
heard Dr. Don McKenzie speak on the advantages of dragon
boating for breast cancer survivors. She has been paddling ever
since. Anne is in her seventh year of coaching Philadelphia Flying
Phoenix (PFP) Dragon Boat Team. PFP includes a breast cancer
crew called "Against the Wind" which participated in the
International Breast Cancer Festivals in Vancouver, Canada 2005,
Caloundra, Australia 2007 and Peterborough, Canada 2010.
Anne's breast cancer also changed the focus of her career as an
Occupational Therapist. As a result of her cancer experience, she
became nationally certified as a Lymphoedema Therapist,
specializing, since 1999, in the treatment of breast cancer related
lymphoedema. She is also a nationally certified Massage Therapist,
specializing in massage for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Susan Rowe – Dublin, Ireland - At thirty-nine our youngest, paddling since 2010 with Plurabelle
Paddlers in its inaugural year
Susan Rowe, at age thirty-nine, was diagnosed with breast cancer
four years ago. Not on her life plan but coming through it all
Susan believes she is a stronger person. She always participated
in sports and was happy to find a new one and, in so doing,
have the bonus of the support and encouragement of fellow
breast cancer paddlers.
Susan started paddling in Dublin in 2010 with, not only the first
breast cancer dragon boat team in Ireland, but also the first
dragon boat club in the country. Her team, Plurabelle Paddlers
has about sixty paddlers with new members constantly joining.
Susan feels privileged to be part of a fantastic group of women
who choose to live positive and healthy lives. They also have a
lot of fun along the way!
In 2011 the Plurabelle Paddlers participated in the International
Dragon Boat Federation’s first Cancer Survivors Event in Malaysia.
They were pleased to receive medals - not bad for a team which
is only cutting its teeth in the sport.
Susan works in Finance/Information Technology. She enjoys
spending time with her friends, cooking, and watching most sports,
particularly rugby. She also loves to travel with Italy being her
current favourite destination of choice.
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Deb Stevenson – Auckland, New Zealand - Since 2006 paddling with Busting with Life , New
Zealand’s founding team, currently team manager
Her positive attitude to everything helped Deb overcome the
shock of a diagnosis of breast cancer. She joined Busting with
Life, the founding breast cancer team in New Zealand, in
August 2006. In the following month she found herself at her
first international event in Singapore. Mastering the techniques
of paddling was a big learning curve in a very short time
frame!
As the current Team Manager for Busting With Life, her team
encourages those living with breast cancer to lead full and
active lives. They have competed at numerous events in New
Zealand and also participated in the Darling Harbour Festival,
Sydney, Australia.
Judy Wilson – Cape Town, South Africa - Paddling since 2006 with amabele Belles, South Africa’s
first breast cancer dragon boat team
In 2005 Judy had been ignoring a lump in her breast for three
months. When she went to see her surgeon he said it felt like a
fibrous tissue. After having a scan and a mammogram the
findings were still inconclusive. Even after a lumpectomy her
surgeon said it still looked like fibrous tissue. When the diagnosis
came through Judy’s whole world fell apart. After treatment In
May 2006 Judy joined amaBele Belles. In October the team took
part in the Singapore Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Festival. Then
in 2010 they participated in the IBCPC Peterborough Festival.
Judy reflects that Singapore and Canada are places she would
never have visited had she not had breast cancer. The Belles are
a great support group and are involved in outreach projects.
Judy emigrated to South Africa from England in 1974 with her
husband, Nigel and baby son. She lives in Cape Town with her
two children and four grandchildren. Her hobbies include hiking,
patchwork, quilting and beading.
Nigel has become involved too and is now a fully qualified dragon
boat helm. Judy feels very proud and honoured to represent, not
only the amaBele Belles, but also South Africa in this historic
event.
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