The River Sisters – a dragon boat team made up of women who have all survived breast cancer – has joined forces with Philadelphia’s Against the Wind team for an international dragon boat festival in New Zealand. The newly formed team, called the Riverwinds, will participate in the IBCPC Dragon Boat Festival, which is held every 3-4 years by the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission. Breast cancer paddler teams from around the world participate. (They don’t compete – this is a non-competi-tive festival.)

The River Sisters practice twice a week between April – October at the Camden County Boathouse on the Cooper River, and then compete in dragon boat festivals throughout the season. Team members are of various ages and backgrounds, athletic abilities and fitness levels. Their common bond, in addition to the breast cancer diagnosis, is a love for dragon boating and the supportive team environment. The team describes themselves as a floating support group of women who want to show others who are weakened by the struggle of cancer that there is life after the disease. They hope to inspire other cancer survivors and their families to live life with passion.