The Dragon Divas

Dragon Divas are back for season 4

June 4, 2009

Our numbers are exploding. This year we are happy to have 49 members on our active roster! Sixteen of these are new members, or as we call them, "newbies."

We had a busy and productive off-season. Our biggest event was a fund raiser graciously supported by Bonnie of The Great Harvest Bread Co. We won a voting contest between four other non-profit organizations for the opportunity to be "Bakers of the Day." We spent two days in the bakery on Selby in St. Paul, making and baking bread under the expert guidance of the owner. We received all the profits from the sale of this bread. We made enough bread (and dough) to consider buying our own boat for future Divas. What a great experience!

We were also invited to introduce our team and its mission to the Breast Cancer support group at St. John's Hospital. It was wonderful to share our information with a group of women with whom we already are in the same boat. We added some great newbies to our team from that meeting.

In April, we had our new members meeting and 10 newbies attended. We also had a great turnout of veteran members to welcome them. It was a fun night recapping out team's 2008 memories and our overall progress in the last four years.

At the end of April, we started our six-week preseason warm-up at the Maplewood HealthEast Optimum Rehab site. This year we had 10 exercise stations set up for specific areas of strengthening and cardiovascular conditioning. We also had a wonderful exercise instructor, Leah, who finished our evening with a hard work out but she made it a lot of fun. Thanks to Leah, we are really looking good (or at least starting to) and can take on the season!

The boat arrived from Iowa June 1. We held our first practice on White Bear Lake on Wednesday, June 3 We had 35 members in attendance. Since we have grown so much, we have had to schedule two practice sessions in these evenings on the lake. We continue to be grateful to Robin and Bob for so graciously housing our dragon boat again this year and grateful for having our favorite stern, Ron, back to guide us on the water. In between our first sessions on Wednesday, we gathered together and received a beautiful blessing from Father Greg for our health, healing and friendship as a team in 2009. We toasted the season with a little champagne. Here are the thoughts that Father Greg honored us with:

God of boundless love,
With all that is within us
We celebrate creation.
As survivors of breast cancer
We are more acute of what matters most.
The gift of life resounds to the gift of love
We are like the water
On which our beautiful boat rests.
Everything moves through us
As life begets life.
We do not just see the fish.
The fish swim through us.
We do not just see the bird.
The bird flies through us.
We do not see the deer.
The deer runs through us.
Look closely and you will see
Flowers in our eyes.
Our womb remembers the womb of your love.
We can and we will
Give birth to ourselves
With every challenge
That comes our way.
Even sisters
Who have died
Live to the soul
Of our resolve.
Abreast in our boat
We row as one
To the certain peace
Where beauty needs
Only to answer to itself.
We are blessed to every whisper of life.
And yes, this blessing moves through us.

With this blessing and the blessings of a team spirit, the first Twin City's Breast Cancer survivors dragon boat racing team, the Dragon Divas, are ready to paddle into season 2009! Thank you for your support!

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.