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The Crewsaders stole the show at the end of season wind up of the Forza Dragon Boat Club and their affiliate crew, Crewsaders Dragons Abreast Bunbury, held at the Bunbury Rowing Club on Saturday 13 May 2007. The room was a sea of dazzling pink tulle and reverberated with the smiles and laughter of both the Crewsaders and the audience when the Crewsaders performed their hilarious rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Reed Flutes from the Nutcracker Suite. Choreographed by their coach, Jill Harrison, the Crewsaders had been rehearsing the dance for only two weeks before the performance. “The inspiration for the dance came to me suddenly, it was just a matter of finding the right piece of music, and Dance of the Reed Flutes fitted perfectly as it has a definite beat and is easy to hear the changes from one step to the next. Basically the dance steps were warm up exercises we do before paddling. Then our sweep Christine Penny suggested we put in an excerpt of the Birdie Dance in the middle. I wasn’t sure how the whole thing was going to go across until we got out on the floor, and when I saw everyone in the audience was smiling and laughing, I thought “perfect!” Eighteen ladies all dressed up in bright pink, it was just dazzling to look at. I was out in front and had no idea what was going on behind me, but looking at the video it was hilarious to watch.” “Every year at the Forza windup one group, either the male paddlers or the female paddlers do a skit – it’s just a bit of a laugh, nothing serious. This is the Crewsaders second year as part of Forza and when they started talking about doing something my mind started ticking and the idea came along. They all took to the idea, and we pulled it all together in only a few weeks, and two of the ladies that can sew made the skirts for those who couldn’t. A couple of people have suggested we perform the dance at other “comedy” shows, but I think you would have to be a dragon boater to really understand what it’s all about.” All the girls thoroughly enjoyed the performance and took to the dance floor after the formal part of the evening was over. Julie and Courtney Scott presented each of the Crewsaders with a “novelty” award, each perfectly suited to the recipient. Jill says, “Someone asked me if the Crewsaders have more fun than the Forza paddlers, and I replied they definitely do. They know how to enjoy themselves and have a good laugh. They just love life, and that’s what makes them such a special group to be a part of. It doesn’t matter what sort of week you’ve had, when you come down to Crewsaders training on Saturday mornings, you come away with a smile on your face.” Bunbury media articles (click on all images to enlarge)
Rural Remote and Regional Network News Summer 2006 Drawing strength from each other
BEGINNINGS FOR CREWSADERS Crewsaders Dragons Abreast Bunbury began on a blustering evening on 1 April 2005. A group of ladies came together at the Bunbury Rowing Club in Bunbury to form what was to become the Crewsaders. But the seed really began a couple of years before when I interviewed Yvette Libregts, the DAA WA Co-ordinator and the Perth Amazon’s sweep Vivienne Wigg, for a magazine article printed in Australian Vital magazine in January 2003. I saw Australian Story on ABC TV and the seed grew. Then early in 2005 I talked again to Yvette at a dragon boat regatta in Rockingham. Some pamphlets were thrust into my hand, and within a few weeks I found myself in a coffee shop in Bunbury with Julie Scott and June Foulds, two breast cancer survivors. Following which we put out the word and held a meeting at St Johns Hospital, where June has an office. And so from then till now. The response has been fantastic from both survivors and supporters in Bunbury and the support of my club, the Forza Dragon Boat Club and its members, has been freely and generously given. Crewsaders would never have come about without their support, and the assistance of my assistant coach, Janette McLean, a very close friend and fellow paddler from Forza. The girls have quickly jelled together both in friendship and paddling, and they have learned the skills of dragon boating quickly, and have been so willing to listen, learn and put into practise all I have shown them. We have two sweeps in training, Christine Penny, a survivor, and Lyndy Scott, a supporter, under the expert guidance of Paul Harrison, Forza’s coach and sweep, who is also the WA sweep accreditor. So they are in very expert and safe hands and we are extremely lucky to have his support. For myself, as coach of the Crewsaders, I feel privileged to be in their company and to be a part of this group of truly wonderful and inspirational women. They make the world light up with their smiles and laughter. They have given me a new focus, drive and enthusiasm to my world and my sport, dragon boating. I thank them for sharing their world with me. Jill Harrison 13 December 2005 Bunbury Crewsaders Former Coordinator – Julie ScottFrom the start I knew Dragons Abreast was for me. The opportunity to be physically active with a supportive group of fellow survivors and supporters was everything I’d been looking for. My breast cancer diagnosis was made in April 2000 and I celebrated my five year survival soon after the Crewsaders was formed. I have experienced three scary recurrences since 2000 and each of these has responded well to treatment. So, officially I have advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Despite this label I am fortunate to be able to keep active and very well with the help of weekly Herceptin – my wonder drug. I am married with two children aged 10 and 12. I love having my 12 year old daughter in the team with me. Can’t think of another sporting team where we could do that? I work as a physiotherapist and have been pleased to be able to share some of my knowledge and skills with the team. But, primarily, I see myself as another survivor wanting to have fun, raise awareness and be part of a great supportive team. I feel honoured to be the inaugural Crewsaders Coordinator.
This page last updated July 2, 2010
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Western Australia 
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