A SEA of pink will highlight the waters of Lake Illawarra this Sunday when the ladies from Dragons Abreast Illawarra hold their Pink Paddle Day.
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All money raised from the Mother's Day paddle will support Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) to raise funds for breast cancer research.
The May 10 paddle at the Illawarra Rowing Centre in Warrawong starts at 8am.
Dragons Abreast Illawarra secretary Jean Laurent encouraged men, women and children to wear pink, have a paddle and enjoy a delicious morning tea.
"This event is our way of supporting BCNA to raise funds for breast cancer research. A gold coin donation is all we ask from those taking part. It promises to be a fun day," she said.
Ms Laurent added that Dragons Abreast Illawarra were also holding a Biggest Morning Tea event at the same venue on May 30 to raise funds for the Cancer Council NSW.
Many Illawarra members are also planning on taking part in a 55-kilometre paddle on the Ord River in Western Australia in June.
First introduced in Vancouver, Dragons Abreast celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The Illawarra arm established in 2002 is the third oldest group in Australia, behind Darwin and Canberra.
Breast cancer survivor Ms Laurent, who only moved to the region last year, said dragon boating had given her a new lease of life.
"It empowers us to be who we want to be. It lets us know we are not alone in our journey and it is a fun way of dealing with our journey together," she said.
"I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2010. I had a lumpectomy but they didn't get all the cancer, so I had to have a mastectomy. In 2012 I had a reconstruction.
"Since I joined the dragon boats in 2014 I haven't looked back. It is a very addictive sport."
Dragon boating, a team activity with up to 20 paddlers, has helped group members immensely.
Members get involved for various reasons. Some join purely for the social and fitness aspect while others love to participate in regattas and a few even officiate.
"We are really a club within a club. There is Dragons Abreast Illawarra which has about 30 members and supporters and then there is the Illawarra Dragon Boat Club which has about 60 members," Ms Laurent said.
"The one common denominator is promoting breast cancer awareness and living by our motto of fitness, friendship and fun."
The two groups train together three times a week.
They welcome new members.
