About Us

ASA members promote breast cancer awareness by training and fundraising to compete in dragon boat racing locally, intrastate, nationally and at times, internationally.

Breast cancer survivors are the “LIVING” side of breast cancer and our aim is to celebrate life and “seize the day”. We participate in the fierce, fast, furious sport of dragon boat racing with a competitive spirit.  In doing so, we promote breast cancer awareness and the early detection of breast cancer, especially in younger men and women.

Dragon boat paddling was first introduced to breast cancer survivors in 1996 in Vancouver, Canada.  Dr Don Mackenzie from the Sports Institute of Vancouver took a group of survivors out on the water in a dragon boat.  The exercise of paddling helped reduce lymphoedema (the swelling of the arm after surgery) and their participation in this sport gave the women inspiration to celebrate life.

Past members have helped motivate and inspire the first Malaysian teams of survivors to paddle in dragon boats in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.  Some of our members, both current and past, have travelled to compete in Rome, Cape Town, Penang, Vancouver and Singapore and nationally in Queensland, ACT, Sydney and Victoria over the last 7 years with a swag of medals to their credit.  Some of our team also joined members from Kempsey in NSW in winning gold in the Wellington Dragon Boat Festival in March 2011.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Australia, members of Adelaide Survivors Abreast Dragon Boat Club Inc participate in breast cancer awareness events to promote our cause. Each year Adelaide Survivors Abreast donates a percentage of funds raised throughout the year to a cancer-related organisation.

We have supported the scientific work of Dr Sally Stephenson at the QEH’s SA Medical Research Trust in the research for a cure for breast cancer and have also contributed to the Marjorie Nelson Jackson Leukemia Foundation and the Cancer Care Centre at Unley.

In 2009 our Club, with a grant from Office of Sport and Recreation, introduced dragon boating to the Copper Coast (Kadina, Wallaroo and surrounding areas).  With our support, this area now has a boat which is used in training on the Wallaroo Marina.