Hope Floats dragon boaters headed to New Zealand in 2022
When Brenda Arndt is in the dragon boat with her fellow teammates, she says there’s no pain, no sickness, or anything bad at all.
She remains focused on the experience, the strength that exudes from her body as she paddles, and the well-being of her teammates in the boat.
Her crew, known as Hope Floats, are all survivors of breast cancer who have turned their difficult situations into something positive. The team trains out of South Niagara Canoe Club in Welland.
Arndt has been a survivor of breast cancer since 2004 and salivary gland cancer since 2006. She is currently battling leukemia. The Crystal Beach resident got involved in the sport after her initial cancer diagnosis and found support through her dragon boat team.
“We all get it. We’ve all gone through something that the other people understand, and we all face it every day,” Arndt said.
“We’re always worried about recurrence. You have to go for your yearly mammogram and there’s always that niggling feeling in the back of your head. The group provides that extra support you need, and you don’t even have to say anything.”
The team is headed to the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission Dragon Boat Festival in 2022. It’s a four-day event that draws athletes from all over the world to participate in a friendly competition aimed at providing camaraderie and a therapeutic experience for people on the road to recovery.
Hope Floats received news last week that the event will be held in New Zealand.
“All breast cancer survivors are welcome, no matter if their team won a world championship, or they are just beginning to dragon boat,” Arndt said.
“It’s an amazing experience. The connection you feel with that many vibrant women, whether they have stage four cancer or if they have recovered, we can all look at each other and draw inspiration.” The last time Hope Floats competed in the event was in 2018, when it was held in Italy. More than 4,000 people attended the festival, which included 129 teams from 17 countries.
The festival has taken place in a different part of the world every four years since its inception in 2005.
Arndt said that the team competes in memory of Jackie Harper, a member of the dragon boat team who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2015.
The team is looking for new members — and no experience is necessary.
“If you had breast cancer, you’re in,” Arndt said, and added that men are welcome to join, too.
“It’s not just women who have survived breast cancer. Men can have it, too.”
Hope Floats hopes to take two teams to the competition in New Zealand and is actively recruiting members, as well as fundraising for the festival.
The team is planning a burger and beer event for October, as well as meet and greets.
For more information, email the team at hopefloats@southniagaracanoeclub.ca.