Austin Cancer Survivors Paddle to Undefeated Season

When Brooke Waupsh first stepped into a dragon boat at 38, fresh from breast cancer treatments, she could barely lift her arms. But as she moved her oar through the water with her teammates, something shifted.

Waupsh joined Paddles with a Purpose, Austin's dragon boat team made up entirely of breast cancer survivors. The team practices twice a week on Lady Bird Lake, pulling their boat Grace through the water in perfect sync.

Dragon boat racing requires 22 paddlers working together, using core and leg muscles along with upper body strength. For women who've had mastectomies, lymph node removals, and reconstruction surgeries, every stroke is a reminder of their resilience.

"It's a meditation when we paddle together in sync," said Waupsh, now 42 and cancer-free after battling the disease twice.

This year, the team captured gold medals at every race they entered in Austin, Dallas, and Oklahoma City. Now all 35 members are preparing for their biggest challenge yet: the International Breast Cancer Paddlers' Commission Festival in France from August 24 to 30.

They'll face 240 teams and 4,500 paddlers from 25 countries. The team has raised $30,000 over two years to help cover the $478 per person registration fee, though members still pay for their own travel.

Why This Inspires

Kathy Espinosa, 71, has survived breast cancer three times and now lives with stage 4 disease. She's been with the team since 2019 and credits the exercise with improving both her breathing and lymphedema after having 16 lymph nodes removed.

"If I didn't have it, I don't think I'd be as well as I am," she said.

Coach Sheena Chang guides the team from the back of the boat, calling out the pace as women ranging from their 20s to 70s move as one. In races, they complete 500 meters in about two and a half minutes, stroking 58 to 64 times per minute.

Many paddlers deal with lymphedema in one arm and can only paddle on one side. Others face weakened chest and abdominal muscles from surgery.

But together, they push through. Alex Brogan, 42, said cancer is a club nobody wants to join, but finding Paddles with a Purpose gave her a community.

"We're working as a team, and we're trying to accomplish something," Brogan said. "When you come out, everybody is so synced up."

The team welcomes anyone affected by breast cancer, including men, though none have joined yet. For many members, dragon boat racing offers a path back to themselves after treatment.

"To find yourself in a tribe of women who are all pushing through what we've been through, both emotionally and physically, it's just a positive group," Waupsh said. "It's been really rewarding to be with a bunch of women who won't give up."