Australian Capital Territory
PO Box 7191 Yarralumla ACT 2600
tel: 1300 889 566
ACTregion@dragonsabreast.com.au (Regional Representative)
or canberra@dragonsabreast.com.au

History

Dragons Abreast ACT took to the water in 1999 and were the second breast cancer dragonboat team in Australia. In those early days we didn’t even have a name, but we knew our colour was to be PINK!. Anna Wellings Booth was urged by Michelle Hanton to form a team in Canberra and around sixteen women appeared at the first paddling session, some of whom are still with us in 2006. On that first occasion, Martine was our youngest paddler at 24, having been diagnosed with breast cancer at 23. After being part of the ACT for around a year she moved to Newcastle and formed the Hunter team.

The Canberra Dragon Boat Association was instrumental in our initial success, with Les Williams training and coaching us in the early days. Elspeth Humphries was the first to volunteer to have a go at sweeping, soon joined by Sylvia Flaxman and Maggie Sharp. Once our sweeps were trained we were able to operate independently. Our first interstate regatta was at the 2000 Nationals at Penrith, where we formed a composite team with women from Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle and Armidale. Our first Chinese New Year on Darling Harbour followed rapidly and we have been part of the CNY celebrations each year since, either with a full team or as part of a composite team.

Individual members have competed at each Nationals since then, with June McMahon being the champion as she has competed at seven consecutive national championships.

Our team contains a mixture of breast cancer survivors and very active supporters without whom we would not have been able to function. In 2005 Robyne Kellett won the national “Supporter of the Year Award” for her contribution to the team, and to the sport, which goes way beyond the call of duty.

2005 saw the ACT team take delivery of their new boat, after fundraising for the previous five years, receiving a generous donation from benefactor Madeleine Luck; and receiving a matching grant from ACT Department of Sport and Recreation. Our beautiful pink “GoAnna” was finally launched, resplendent with head and tail, on 27 November 2006 – a long and difficult birth, but well worth the effort put into her.

The Annual DAA ACT breast cancer challenge regatta has become a bigger event with each passing year. In 2006 33 corporate and social teams competed for the Pink Lady Shield, with a further six girls teams racing as a curtain-raiser for the main event. Lake Burley Griffin has never seen so much pink!

We have room for more on our boat! If you would like to join us, please contact our coordinator (details above), we would love you to join us.

this page updated August 5, 2007