Dragon Divas

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The Dragon Divas

The Dragon Divas are an eclectic mix of thriving women of all ages. Among the group are homemakers, scientists, educators and business and health care professionals. The Dragon Divas are the first known dragon boat team for breast cancer survivors in the Twin Cities.

The Divas are sponsored by St. John's Hospital, home to HealthEast's Cancer Care Center.

Throughout the summer, they've shared info on training, races and camaraderie. Find out more about the Dragon Divas here.

Gold Found in Fort Dodge!

September 4, 2008

The Dragon Divas have won their first race! The festival in Fort Dodge (the weekend of August 22) was our last for this season. We were in eight races that day and won three out of the first six. That qualified us for the final gold medal round which included two races. We lost the first one by mere seconds. But we won the second race! We came in first overall in a combined time that was only .46 seconds better than our competition!

We were all very proud to receive gold medals on behalf of our entire team, present or not, and especially on behalf of our paddling coach, Geeta. She has believed in us from the very start and has pushed us to be the best we can be. We were also very lucky to have our favorite stern, Ron, steering our boat and calling our racing strategy in the festival. What a great way to end our racing season!

On August 27, we organized a "thank you" evening for all of our friends, family and sponsors on White Bear Lake at the home of the Nicholson's. Nearly 80 people enjoyed the evening and the beautiful lake view. Many were able to get on the boat and experience paddling under with the gracious guidance of our stern, Ron. We shared great food and great stories. We also held a raffle with fun prizes and proudly displayed many memories and awards from the season. The evening was a wonderful opportunity to meet family and say thank you to those who encouraged us and helped to make this season so successful.

Our dragon boat, the Annie B., will be leaving town for the season this week. We hope to have her back next year. She came without a face this year. And now, thanks to the great work of artist Annie B. she is leaving with a beautiful makeover. She also has an unforgettable history of supporting a group of breast cancer survivors. On the waters of White Bear Lake they became friends and a team.

We would like to thank St. John’s Hospital again for their support of our mission and team this season. We would not be able to be out on the water without sponsorship. We praise you loudly!

If you are interested in joining our team or would also like to sponsor us in some way, please contact Mary Skrypek at 651-232-7823 or e-mail mamaskry@aol.com.