It鈥檚 the offseason for dragon boat racing, but for the 91原创 team of 25 women fighting breast cancer their battle never ends.
The local dragon boat team is spending Breast Cancer Awareness Month doing community outreach.
鈥淸A] common misconception was that women who have breast cancer shouldn鈥檛 do upper body exercise,鈥� said Michelle Righetti, 51.
She鈥檚 team captain for Fort 91原创鈥檚 Abreast in a Boat, joining the team about five years ago.
Abreast in a Boat is a charitable organization that raises awareness about how women can live full, active and healthy lives after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Team membership has one qualification 鈥� a breast cancer diagnosis.
鈥淓veryone in the boat has had breast cancer so everybody knows what it鈥檚 like, and everyone鈥檚 got different stories,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 really dwell on the cancer too much, but we know that we鈥檝e got that support there if there鈥檚 anything going on.鈥�
READ MORE: 鈥業t鈥檚 never too early鈥�: B.C. women urged to speak to their doctors about breast cancer
Righetti learned she had cancer eight years ago.
鈥淚 still have cancer,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 still have it in my bones, and there are probably four people on our boat that have had recurrences.鈥�
It was Righetti鈥檚 doctor who noticed her collarbone was swollen and sent her for further testing, which revealed she had stage four cancer.
The next step was to learn where the disease originated 鈥� breast cancer.
Righetti was 43 years old when she received the news that the cancer had spread to her bones and her ovaries.
鈥淚 thought my life would be over,鈥漵he said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 get to see my kids graduate.鈥�
She immediately began radiation treatment.
鈥淚鈥檓 so lucky. For me that worked,鈥� she said.
Still, each month she receives an injection in her bones and everyday she is required to take medication to keep the disease stable.
鈥淣ow I鈥檓 racing in a boat and going on a ski trip for Christmas,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the sort of doom and gloom you think it鈥檚 going to be.鈥�
Righetti joined the local dragon boat team after she met a woman at her gym wearing one of the team鈥檚 T-shirts.
鈥淲hen I got cancer, I hadn鈥檛 lived here that long from England,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 thought I don鈥檛 know how I鈥檓 going to do this, but my Abreast in a Boat girls they take care of everything.鈥�
The women on the team range in age from their 30s to their 50s.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter how old you are, how fit you are, how big, how little, whatever it is, as long as you鈥檝e had breast cancer, you鈥檙e on the team,鈥� she said.
There鈥檚 a variety of roles on the team depending on a member鈥檚 fitness level. To race a dragon boat requires 20 paddlers, someone at the back to steer and a drummer at the front.
The public can meet members of the squad this coming weekend. The team will be at the annual Cranberry Festival in Fort 91原创 on Saturday to do their part for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
For more information about the organization visit
鈥淵ou can get past this. You can carry on and live your life as full as you want to,鈥� said Righetti.
joti.grewal@blackpress.ca
Like us on and follow us on .
