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Great year wraps up for dragonboat squad

Abreast in the Rockies have put the boat into hibernation and hung up their life jackets and paddles after another year.
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The Abreast in the Rockies dragonboat team out on Moyie Lake.

Courtesy Sandy Zeznick

Abreast in the Rockies Dragon Boat Team paddlers have put the boat into hibernation and hung up their life jackets and paddles after another year of fitness, festivals and fun.  We just completed our eighth year and were very pleased to welcome four new paddlers to our team.

We continue to show improvement in technique, fitness and race results.

The team is made up of breast cancer survivors and supporters as well as associate members.  Paddlers range in age from women in their 40s to their 70s.  All of our paddlers show a great spirit and support each other both on and off the boat.

The team is a non-profit society and participates in awareness and is involved in fundraising to support local cancer projects. We were thrilled to be a part of the East Kootenay Foundation for Health's "A Clear View" campaign which raised $1,000,000 for a digital stereotactic mammography unit. We were part of the "faces" of the campaign and were able to make a $5,000 donation.

Abreast in the Rockies begins the season in February with gym workouts designed by trainer Jodie Pickering. The coaches, Connie Savage and Deb Thompson, take the team to the pool in May to work on technique and then it's off to Wasa or Jim Smith Lake in June and Moyie Lake in July, August and September.  Members also take part in hiking, running, swimming, biking, yoga and various other activities.

This year the team took part in festivals in Alberta and Montana. We placed second in Women's A consolation and second in the survivor race in Lethbridge and third in the Women's division and second in the survivor race at Flathead Lake. All race times for 500 metres were under three minutes!

Abreast in the Rockies is always looking for breast cancer survivors to join the team.  If interested in friends, fun and fitness call Connie at 250-489-5573 or email Sandy at szeznik@shaw.ca.