Dragon Boating Helps Breast Cancer Survivors Thrive

When Britten Witherspoon finished breast cancer treatment in 2018, she struggled to find ways to be active again. Then she discovered dragon boating, and everything changed.

Witherspoon, now assistant coach of the Vancouver-based Catch-22 Ospreys dragon boat team, was diagnosed with stage 3 triple negative breast cancer. After months of chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, she felt lost about how to reclaim her athletic life.

Her first practice happened in a coach's backyard during the pandemic, learning paddle strokes in a water trough. When she finally got on the water, she fell in love instantly.

The Catch-22 Ospreys recently won gold in the breast cancer paddlers division at the Paddle for Life festival in Ridgefield. The annual event brings together survivor teams to compete, celebrate, and raise awareness about a disease that takes over 42,000 women's lives each year.

But for Witherspoon and her teammates, dragon boating offers something beyond competition. It provides a community of women who truly understand what survivors endure.

"We've all been through really horrific things done to our bodies, but to have this strength that we all have, this camaraderie and knowing that we're not defined by this diagnosis, that we can come out of it and find a way to be athletes, is amazing," Witherspoon said. Her kids now watch their mom coach and paddle on multiple boats after seeing her so sick.

Why This Inspires

Fellow paddler Tamara Greenwell explains that when the team gets in the boat, they're athletes first. They compete to win because they're doing the work, not just because they had cancer.

The team shows up for each other beyond the water too. When cancer returns for some members, the crew appears with soup, sends flowers, and has each other's backs whether in a boat or at the hospital.

Witherspoon now tells everyone to try dragon boating if they like being active and enjoy the water. The sport has given her an extended family and built-in support group.

"I feel like it's just a gift every time I get to do it," she said. She encourages anyone facing cancer to find their support group, especially people who have been through it and know what it feels like.

The Paddle for Life event holds special meaning as a local race where the team can compete close to home with multiple boats from their crew. For these athletes, every stroke on the water is a celebration of strength, survival, and sisterhood.