At the age of seven, my twin sister and I began attending a summer camp in the Adirondack Mountains where we learned to swim and canoe. Living in NYC, there were few opportunities to paddle, so we would look forward to the summers, where we could explore the beauty of Raquette Lake.

On December 26, 1989, I entered Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital. My cancer was very aggressive and I underwent bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and 5 years of a tamoxifen protocol. Although this disease was devastating, I continued to raise my two sons, go to graduate school and hold a full time position as an elementary school teacher, a bilingual coordinator, and later an assistant principal.

My philosophy was simply that I once had the chicken pox, measles, mumps, and breast cancer but would continue to search for a chance to canoe with my sister, husband, or sons whenever possible.

On a return visit to Memorial Sloan-Kettering, my sister and I entered a wellness workshop conducted by Donna Wilson, RN, MSN. Donna’s presentation was so empowering and then she began to talk about a Dragon Boat Team for Cancer Survivors. My sister Ana and I shouted, “Could this be true? Are we really hearing about water sports in the hospital!”

Yup, and this is our 3rd year as members of this remarkable team, NYC Empire Dragon Boat Team! We did have to learn all about the ‘A’ frame, and seat pads …. but each weekend we can’t wait to put on our life jackets, select our paddles and glide on the waters of Flushing Meadow along with 19 -22 of the mightiest sisters, James and James our coaches, Donna our captain, our extended family, in one boat. What a life!