Debra

I am a grateful 11 year breast cancer survivor and a proud 10 season teammate on Hope Afloat USA, a breast cancer survivors (BCS) dragon boat team with paddlers coming mainly from Philadelphia and its suburbs. My good friend, Linda Bloom, a highly esteemed veteran paddler on Hope Afloat USA, recruited me to join the team. Linda continues to inspire me by her athleticism, fitness, paddling skill, and inner and outer beauty; I am honored to be her teammate.

When I joined Hope Afloat USA, I was welcomed immediately and unconditionally. I sorely needed this opportunity to participate on a team with other breast cancer survivors. Our shared diagnosis was the initial bond that brought us together. However, through team practices, competition, social events, fundraising initiatives, and community service projects, I quickly learned to embrace our BCS connection. What a genuine thrill it is to feel strong and powerful, not fragile and weak! What a genuine thrill it is to replace fear, desperation, and anxiety with strength, hope, and purpose! Through Hope Afloat USA, I feel more in control of my destiny and not controlled by my diagnosis. My teammates and I have a common bond, despite differences in age, diagnoses, treatments, work, marital and family situations, ethnicity, and religious preferences. We are sisters by choice, not by birth.

Hope Afloat USA personifies fitness, friendship, and fun, as described in our brochure. Mentioning Hope Afloat USA in any social context is a guaranteed conversation starter. I love to emphasize that I am an athlete and a member of Philadelphia’s unique dragon boat community. I often share that a highlight is meeting other dragon boaters at local, national, and international races; however, my heart and soul will always be with Hope Afloat USA.