The Central Coast SurviveOars won the National Championship in the All Cancer Paddler small boat division at the United States Dragon Boat Federation (USDBF) Club Crew National Championships in Sarasota, Florida October 17-19. The team won gold medals in the 500 meter, 200 meter and 2000 meter races, earning the opportunity to compete at the 2026 International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) Club Crew World Championships in Hualien, Chinese Taipei.
The crew of 15 men and women, all cancer survivors, trained together for six months to prepare for the race. They are all paddlers on the Central Coast SurviveOars team, a program of the nonprofit Central Coast Dragon Boat Association.
“It was an honor to compete with this crew against clubs from all over the county on a national stage,” said team captain Shannon Larrabee. “Our dragon boat community continues to grow, and we are proud to have teams from this small community win major competitions.”
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, a perfect time to celebrate survivorship. Six of the National Champions on the SurviveOars crew are breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivors are a driving force behind the growth of dragon boat racing, since a study in 1997 proved that participation in the sport provides multiple benefits after cancer treatment. The benefits include reducing the risk of developing lymphedema, and improvement in both physical and emotional health. Many dragon boat races feature All Cancer Paddler and Breast Cancer Paddler divisions, in addition to age-based and gender-based divisions.
Dragon boat racing is the fastest growing water sport in the world, with teams in more than 60 countries. The Central Coast Dragon Boat Association was formed in Morro Bay in 2014 to create a community of dragon boat teams for all levels of competition, and to support cancer survivors in the sport. Everyone is welcome; find out more at CCDBA.org
