As one of the driving forces of the NorthBreast Passage dragon boat team, Enid Bond has always subscribed to the "more the merrier" approach to recruiting.
There's room for 22 on the Prince George team entered in the Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival, Aug. 12-14. All 20 paddlers fit in the 45-foot (13.72-metre) boat, along with a steersperson and a drummer.
"We're always looking for new paddlers, we want to encourage people who have had breast cancer," said Bond, who took on the team drumming duties in 2011.
In fact, all members of the Prince George team have had their battles with the disease, one of the requirements when they compete at dragon boat festivals in the breast cancer survivor category.
The nonprofit group promotes breast cancer awareness and research and provides support to breast cancer survivors through its dragon boat activities. The group's primary function is to try to improve the psychological and physical well-being of breast cancer survivors. Their boat is named Joie de Vivre (Joy of Living).
"It's a wonderful, positive experience for people who have had breast cancer," said Bond.
"Our motto is, we paddle because we can and we paddle for those who can't. It's a great physical activity. Before, they wouldn't encourage people to get exercise because of lymphoedema (swelling due to a compromised lymphatic system) in the arms and things but now they've found it's very good for people to get that exercise."
The Breast Cancer Survivor Challenge will be staged over two days in Victoria. Each heat is timed and the fastest boats advance to the next level. Each race will be 500 metres. Bond anticipates her team will race two heats the first day and will have three on the final day.
Dragon boat events are held annually in Victoria, Vancouver, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, Calgary and Edmonton. Bond says there aren't nearly enough boats in north central B.C. to consider hosting a race. A dragon boat team exists in Quesnel but there are no others in the region.
"It's a huge commitment for people who do decide to paddle, but once they start it's so rewarding," said Bond.
The team ranges in age from 30 to 77. Maggie Dunlop, 77, was one of the team's founding members in 2001.
NorthBreast Passage meets regularly for dryland training throughout the winter and the team goes to Four Seasons Pool, utilizing a smaller boat anchored by a rope to work on their technique until they can start training outdoors on the lake.
The short season in the northern B.C. makes it difficult to grow the sport and NorthBreast Passage builds its training programs around races in midsummer, giving its members enough time outdoors to get ready for a race.
"We did get on the water a couple weeks early but we're always fighting with rain and lightning," said Bond. "The waves don't bother us, it's the lightning you can't be on the lake with."
Their boat is stored at the boy scout camp at Baldy Hughes Therapeutic Community & Farm (off Blackwater Road, 30 kilometres southwest of Prince George). Team members gather Wednesdays (6 p.m.) and Sundays (4 p.m.) for hour-long paddling sessions at West Lake provincial park.
Now in its 16th season as a dragon boat team, NorthBreast Passage is hosting an open house demonstration on Sunday at 4 p.m. at West Lake. The group is also looking for sponsors to help defray the cost of travel to the Victoria race.
"We're always open to people coming out to have rides if they think it's something they would like to do," said Bond. "It's great exercise and good camaraderie."
For more information, go to www.northbreastpassage.com or call 250-964-9795.
