The Hope Boat
Two years ago, TWC launched our first Dragon Boat Team. A group of participants joined together to learn about this activity and learn the fine art of paddling a dragon boat. It has been an inspiring and very exciting experience for all. The notion of a group of survivors powerfully navigating a boat with the head of a dragon is an image worth a thousand words. A diagnosis of cancer appears in one’s life suddenly, with the force and fury of a dragon, and the journey of surgery, treatment and ongoing side effects is truly an effort that takes courage, strength and willingness to endure to regain a sense of control.

But aside from the metaphorical power of the image, there are more important factors that give meaning to this team. It has long been accepted now that social support is a crucial factor in managing the emotional roller coaster of a cancer diagnosis and maintaining some quality of life. The experience of coming together and forming a team with a common goal has been a healing experience for the people on The Hope Boat. For many of them, paddling is a new skill, and learning it together, watching out for one another, and drawing strength from one another enables each person to feel safe and successful.

Recent research lends strong support to the value of rowing and other upper body exercise for women who have had breast cancer surgery. Training for the Dragon Boat race has been a gentle introduction for some of the women on the team to such exercise. And who can argue about the health and healing benefits of being on the Charles River at the end of a long day, while the sun is low in the sky, and the breeze is blowing and all of Boston glows?

The Hope Boat paddlers have been trained by Peter Lew, himself a cancer survivor. The people in the boat have all had cancer diagnoses. While many are breast cancer survivors, there are also people in the boat who have had lymphoma, colon cancer, melanoma and gynecological cancers.

Join the team!
The Hope Boat team is open to all cancer survivors. Please check the upcoming calendar for information about the team’s activities, or call 617 332-1919 or e-mail info@wellnesscommunity.org to get involved.