They've won their battle, even before they get to the waters of Lake Eur.  They are women who have beaten cancer and have formed five teams who will compete in a special category of "Breast Cancer Survivors" in the World Dragonboating Championships with some 2000 other athletes paddling in dragonboat competitions from tomorrow until Sunday.  The boats, originally from China, are shaped like dragons. 

These women come from all corners of the globe and tell different stories, but from the same dark chapter: the discovery of breast cancer.  Soon afterwards they had the physical and mental strength to overcome adversity and they do not allow the spectre of pain to board their dragon boats.

'All together' exclaims Margaret Wolf, who was born in Germany but lives in Australia.  A few nights ago they gathered 'all together' for a 'benvenuto' cocktail party at the Residence of the Australian Ambassador, Murray Cobban, and his wife Maureen, who afforded them a gracious and sensitive welcome. 

Canadian women were the first to enter a dragonboat competition, organised by Deb Thiessen, celebrating survival following a diagnosis of breast cancer. 

Many Australian breast cancer survivors soon followed with a competition of their own.

Australian coordinator Michelle Hanton says: 'I don't look back, I think of the future' : her future is to travel the world competing in dragonboat races. 

"Next year, Shanghai" for the World Championships, a promise made to the Chinese Deputy Minister for Sport, Zang Faqiang, by Claudio Schermi, President of the Italian Dragon Boat Federation. "We will send an Italian Women's team to compete."

Giorgio Ratti, lawyer, and president of the Young Cancer Sufferers Association says: "Our team has a mission.  We are now preparing our pink uniforms." 

Professor Riccardo Masetti, president of the Italian branch of the Susan Komen Foundation, who is always engaged in the fight against this disease, applauds their actions: "These women are a testament to overcoming hardships and confronting them openly, without closing themselves off from the world." - Roberto Stracca