Australian Capital Territory
PO Box 7191 Yarralumla ACT 2600
tel: 1300 889 566
ACTregion@dragonsabreast.com.au (Regional Representative)
or canberra@dragonsabreast.com.au
Media - (click on images to enlarge)
http://www.capitalmagazine.com.au/DC/DailyCAPITAL.htm
LAKE BURLEY GRIFFIN TURNED PINK
AS CANBERRANS RACED FOR BREAST CANCER - click here for story 27 October 2008
pdf download Canberra Times |
Capital Times - Gecko Launch (above)
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Canberra Times 26 October 2008 |
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Canberra Times - Gecko Launch - below
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Canberra Times March 5 2008 |
Canberra Times 8 November 2007 |
Glasshouse Country News 26/9/07 |
Canberra Times 11 September 2007 |
Canberra Times 8 September 2007 |
June 2007
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Canberra Times 30 November 2006 |
The Chronicle December 5 2006 |
Canberra Times 23 October 2006 |
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above - Capital Magazine
January-February 2006
 left - Canberra Times
15 January 2006
Canberra Times 27 Feb 2006 - for more on swimming kangaroos see the powerpoint presentation here |
Chronicle 6 December 05 |
Amazon Heart - Canberra Times 26 November 2005
Lyn Langer and Amelia Thiedeman on their way to Sri Lanka for the Amazon Heart project. Click on image to read full story. Note: the article implies that donations paid for Lyn and Amelia's travel expenses, which is untrue : Amelia and Lyn have paid their own way, for both travel and accommodation, and all donations go towards the project.
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24 October 2005
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Canberra Times
1 November 2005 |
City News 6 May 2004 |
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21 August 2004
Canberra Times |
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Canberra Times 14 September 2005 |
Chronicle April 2005
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Canberra Times: 10 Nov 2003 - click on image for full story |
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26 October 2003 |
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From Canberra Times August 21 2003 |
From Canberra Girls Grammar Report December 2002 |
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6 March 2002 |
10 March 2000
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from "Capital" Magazine, December 2003, launch of "Warrior Women" Exhibition |
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Canberra Times 30th October 2003 |
| The ACT Dragons Abreast team was featured on ABC television news on 31 August 2003 during a "Come and Try" session on Lake Burley Griffin |
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From The Chronicle 25 November 2002 |
25 October 2002 |
9 May 2002 |
1 October 2000 |
Transcript, Stateline, ABC TV, 24 October 2003
Getting breast cancer led these amazing women to discover
fun, fitness and friendship in an amazing way. They are the members of
the Dragons Abreast team - their dragon boat team about to compete in
the Masters' Games to be held in Canberra shortly.
Their message: Have a mammogram.!
ANNA: its fantastic...we've become by default a floating support group...we
have a lot of laughs, a lot of tears....its an entree to a world wide
club...we have people calling in from round Australia, Canada, America...they
just look up our site and ring...can we have a paddle...its the same round
Australia as well...a great sense of belonging to a group.
JAN ...13 years ago...still in my 30s...I had all the treatment...I've
recovered now...I joined when it started...it's great for all of us
we always say we don't want new members in a way cause it means that they
have to have had breast cancer, but anyway...if these things happen to
you at least you can do something positive with your life!
I was diagnosed in Feb 2002...it's been really important...great...physical
activity...mentally...fabulous...spiritual lift!!!
AMELIA: April 1 I started with the crew and it's been wonderful...when
you're out on the lake all your troubles just disappear....I wanted to
join when I saw them Canberra Day last year, I wanted to join the pink
ladies....few months later I got my breast cancer...it was awful but here
I am...just wonderful...
I've had a few friends who've been quite sick and another who's recently
died so it touched me.
We do something very special...we come down to the lake, we bring flowers,
paddle to the middle, stop the boat and i often read a poem...reflect
on the life of the person whos either died or had a rediagnosis, and we
float the flowers on the water and just sit silently for about a minute...it's
very spiritual, very powerful...the silence is very very special...and
we also celebrate as well...we celebrate the good things...we remember
not just local people, we hear news of people even overseas and we'll
just stop that boat and we'll think about how lucky we are on this beautiful
lake...its amazing out there...
POEM...today well spent makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and
every tomorrow....
I think they are more and more...sadly its gone up to 11'000 women, 2
years ago it was 10'000...now its 11,000, the good news is the mortality
rate's about the same, that's steady so that means perhaps that people
are being diagnosed earlier...more people are presenting to have mammograms
earlier, and thats why the numbers are higher...
28 is our youngest to 72!! I guess the average age is about 55...but
that's really good...age doesn't matter, and physical fitness doesn't
matter...I'd probably be one of the most unfit on the boat...but it doesn't
matter...we all get in and have a go...we do our damnedest to....raise
awareness too, thats what we're trying to do as well...
LYN: only 3 weeks...I've just moved to Canberra...heard about the group...thought
this is the perfect way to meet new friends...have fun....Saturdays and
Sundays are the highlight of my week!!
Feb..1999...it's nice to know that life goes on after breast cancer....nice
to be out and physical , and healthy and happy!!
You're either a lefty or a righty...I can't paddle on the left, my surgery's
been on the left or the right...some people can paddle both sides, I'm
a lefty and...it does imrove the upper body strengh actually and thats
why most of us do it...it takes time, but we're not there to compete,
we're there to have fun and we're there to support one another...we like
winning, love the adrenalin rush of winning a race but thats not the important
thing...it's just to get out there and be with women that have experienced
breast cancer and getting on with doing something that's a bit outrageous
actually!! and really good fun!!
MARION: I've been part of this group for 3 years now...very first paddling
when I was having chemotherapy...Its' made me realise there's a positive
aspect to getting breast cancer as well as the negative...had a chance
to represent my country...never in my wildest dreams would have thought
that I would represent my country in any sport...a real buzzz...and I've
made so many good friends out of this!!
Come down and join us...anyone who's had breast cancer...join with some
zany women...with diverse backgrounds, diverse ages....just a wonderful
bunch of fun loving women!!
From the Canberra Times
Anna Wellings Booth was amused by the complaint from
Governor-General Peter Hollingworth whose ears have been offended by the "exuberant language" of Canberra's rowing fraternity.
At his direction a message was sent to the ACT Rowing
Association asking them to tone it down.
Anna is from the Dragons Abreast group of women who have
had breast cancer and who paddle their dragon boat around the bend from
Yarralumla.
"If the Governor-General's residence were located
a little more to the north-east," she says, "Dr Hollingworth
might not be so offended by words beginning with the sixth letter of the
alphabet.
"He would hear, and see, the Feisty, Fabulous, Fearless
Dragons Abreast crew in their Fuchsia tops showing the Face of breast
cancer to all.
"Neither Feckless nor Feeble Femmes Fatales are
they - they Fete their Friends; Ferret For Funds; Find Funky Followers
and Fumble Foolishly as Friendly rowers Flash by Focussing their Flotilla
Forward with ne'er a Forbidden Foul!"
This page last updated:
November 11, 2009
