Female cancer patients and survivors from Cooper University Hospital have joined with South Jersey’s dragon boat racing team, The River Sirens, to train and race in competitions throughout the region. This new sister team, called Hope Floats, trains with The River Sirens’ paddlers and coaches on Cooper River in Pennsauken.
“I’m so excited and proud to be part of this unique dragon boat team,” explains Kathleen Turner, a breast cancer survivor from Haddonfield, New Jersey, and Hope Floats’ team captain. “It’s fun, inspiring, and so helpful to know that we can be physically active and strong healthy people despite our cancer.”
Dragon boat racing, which is similar to sports like rowing, canoeing or kayaking, combines tradition with modern day teamwork, enthusiasm, and strategy. Dragon boats are 40-foot-long hulls designed to carry 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steersperson. The beautiful boats are decorated to look like dragons. Dragon boat racing is for all body types and fitness levels, and some medical experts believe paddling can help control lymphedema, which afflicts many breast cancer patients.
The sport of dragon boat racing has been in existence for centuries and first became popular in Asia. Today, dragon boat racing is among the fastest growing team water sports in the world, with tens of thousands of participants in more than 60 countries. The sport is recognized for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered among participants. Dragon boat racing is becoming particularly popular among cancer survivors.
A group of female friends from Camden County organized The River Sirens in early 2005 as a unique way to combine fun, fitness and community service. Since their inception, the team has raised funds for Cooper University Hospital’s Breast Cancer Program. This spring, The River Sirens’ brand new dragon boat arrived to the Cooper River Boathouse. The dragon boat was purchased by The River Sirens through a special grant from Cooper for Women and the Cooper Cancer Institute. The River Sirens have continued their commitment to the Cooper Cancer Institute by extending an open invitation to cancer patients to develop a team under their guidance.
“Cancer has touched the lives of so many of us and we are so happy to be able offer a unique way to positively impact the lives of local women who have had the disease,” explains Daria Sohanchak Teti, a team founder and captain of The River Sirens. “The enthusiasm and commitment of the Hope Floats’ team members is truly an inspiration.”
Hope Floats is open to all female cancer patients and survivors, and it’s not too late to join the team. For more information, visit the teams’ website at www.riversirens.com.
The women of Hope Floats and The River Sirens paddled in their first official race on June 10, 2007, as part of the Paddle for Pink Dragon Boat Festival held on Lake Mercer. A team consisting of members from each of the groups took part in the event, which featured eight 250-meter races. At day's end, they were named the winners of the survivor's division and placed fourth overall.
The River Sirens and Hope Floats can be spotted paddling along Cooper River most nights of the week. As the only dragon boat on the river, they surely can’t be missed!
For more information about the Cooper Cancer Institute or to make an appointment with a Cooper University Hospital physician at an office near you, please call 1-800-8-COOPER (800-826-6737) to speak with a member of our physician referral and information service.