Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak briefly regarding the commendable work currently being undertaken by Dragons Abreast Australia and to highlight its premier event, the 2008 hospital boat challenge, due to take place this coming Sunday, 17 February. I am aware of the fantastic work this group has been doing nationally and in my home state of Tasmania with breast cancer survivors to help them regain their health and spirits. For those of you who may not be aware, Dragons Abreast Australia is a not-for-profit national organisation which encourages breast cancer survivors from all around Australia to take part in physical activity—namely, the sport of dragon boat racing.

Dragon boat racing is an aquatic sport which involves a 12-metre long canoe-like boat, large enough to sit 20 people, two abreast, along with a sweep to steer the boat and a drummer. It is paddled over a course of approximately 500 metres in length. During races, a dragon boat normally features the head and tail of a dragon, a creature regarded by the Chinese as having dominion over the waters and exercising control over rainfall.

The concept of using this sport as a means of therapy for breast cancer survivors originated in Vancouver, Canada back in 1996, and quickly spread to Australia, with the first Australian dragon boat team taking to the water in the Northern Territory in December 1998. Participation in the sport provides breast cancer survivors with not only a suitable form of physical activity to aid them in their recovery but also a forum in which to regain confidence and to share the ups and downs that come with recovery. In this sense, the organisation aims to provide survivors with an inclusive team environment in which they can focus on regaining their health, confidence and self-esteem after battling breast cancer.

Following the first boat taking to the waters in Australia in 1998, the innovative idea quickly gained momentum. The program’s popularity has resulted in around 34 teams operating around Australia in each state and territory. I am proud to report this figure includes three teams that are based in Tasmania—one each in Hobart, Launceston and Devonport.

In light of the fantastic work this organisation is doing for breast cancer survivors all around Australia, I was surprised to learn that the organisation is completely self-funded and relies on sponsorship and the tireless work of volunteers. Participants pay a small membership fee to cover the costs associated with liability; the remainder of the organisation’s funding is collected through donations. This has not limited Dragons Abreast Australia’s capacity to help breast cancer survivors from all around the world. Just last September the organisation hosted an international regatta in Queensland, which saw around 2,000 breast cancer survivors from seven countries come together to share their experiences and to raise awareness about breast cancer. By all accounts the event was a huge success. I am sure that it would have been quite spectacular.

As I mentioned earlier, Dragons Abreast Australia’s premier event this year will be the 2008 hospital boat challenge. It will take place this coming Sunday, 17 February, on Darling Harbour. The challenge will see teams of fit, well-trained and enthusiastic breast cancer survivors from all around the country converge on Darling Harbour to compete in the challenge, all with the aim of raising awareness of breast cancer and creating an atmosphere of hope for breast cancer survivors.

The president of the Hobart Dragons Abreast team, Rosemary Kerrison, along with 22 other breast cancer survivors, will be heading up to the event. Rosemary has said that, for the members of her team, the benefits associated with training for and participating in the event reaches beyond the obvious physical benefits, with the group allowing survivors to share a common journey on the long and often difficult road to recovery.

Indeed, countless studies have pointed to the numerous physical and mental benefits stemming from regular physical activity for cancer survivors of all persuasions. However, the nature of the various treatments used to treat breast cancer, including surgery, radiation and hormone therapy, are known to frequently result in decreased strength and range of movement in the shoulders and arms. Other side effects from such treatments include fatigue, weight gain, nausea, depression and lowered self-esteem. Further, the Dragons Abreast website estimates that around 25 to 30 per cent of women treated for breast cancer develop lymph oedema, which results in the accumulation of excess lymphatic fluid, in this case causing arm swelling.

Regular exercise for breast cancer survivors has emerged as a positive complementary treatment, assisting in reducing a number of the side effects associated with treatment. The benefits of regular physical activity for breast cancer survivors include enhanced mobility and strength, particularly in the arms and shoulders; decreased fatigue associated with chemotherapy; improved sleep patterns; and, of course, enhanced quality of life.

However, Rosemary Kerrison from Dragons Abreast in Hobart is quick to point out that Dragons Abreast not only provides survivors with the chance to regain their physical fitness; it also—importantly—provides survivors with a chance to improve their emotional wellbeing. Participation allows female breast cancer survivors the opportunity to boost their morale and self-esteem, which can sometimes be eroded after what can be a long and sometimes confronting battle with breast cancer.

As the numerous national breast cancer awareness campaigns over the years have highlighted, for many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer the challenge of fighting the illness lies not only with fighting the actual disease but also in dealing with the deeply personal and emotional battle that often arises when faced with the prospect of losing one or both breasts.

Whether by default or design, women diagnosed with breast cancer are often forced to confront society’s concept of femininity and the prospect of a change in their physical appearance. In an era in which so much attention is placed on physical appearance, the mental and emotional strain that may arise from such an experience must be, in many cases, immense and mentally challenging.

This initiative by Dragons Abreast provides women—not only in my home town but right around the country and, indeed, throughout the world—with an opportunity to share their common struggle and to work together toward forming the building blocks for a happy, productive and supported life after surviving breast cancer.

Rosemary relayed one touching story of how Dragons Abreast plays a varied role in supporting women, although I am sure there are numerous examples of how Dragons Abreast has assisted members to rebuild their lives. This Hobart team member, I am told, could not swim and was terrified of water. After ongoing support from her other team members, she eventually gained the courage to, first, sit in the boat, and then to participate. Following on from this, I am told, she has now taken up swimming lessons and swims on a regular basis. As I said, this is probably only one of a number of stories that could be told world wide of how Dragons Abreast has assisted breast cancer survivors on their journey towards recovery.

Roughly one in 11 women in Australia is diagnosed with breast cancer before they reach the age of 75. And despite a significant increase in awareness and intense campaigns promoting early detection through breast screening, it remains the most common form of invasive cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Despite this, there is still hope and organisations like Dragons Abreast are providing that to sufferers and survivors alike. For these reasons, I commend the work that Dragons Abreast Australia is doing to raise awareness about this disease, and—most importantly—to provide much-needed support for breast cancer survivors around the country.

I think it is a fantastic thing to encourage women who have been through the often difficult and confronting experience of battling breast cancer to participate in a physical activity which will help them reconnect with the positive aspects of their physical and mental wellbeing. It is also great to see an organisation that is able to provide women with a comforting team environment in which to regain their confidence and, in many cases, to work through the grief associated with the changes that have occurred to their physical appearance as a result of the illness.

Because the organisation relies solely on donations and sponsorship, I urge my colleagues to consider getting behind their local Dragons Abreast team. I know I will definitely be doing all I can to support the organisation’s work in the future. Although, unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the event on Sunday, I certainly wish all participants the very best of luck and hope that it proves to be an enjoyable and enriching experience for all.