Breast cancer survivor Marjorie Woodroffe watched Vancouver's "Abreast in a Boat" participate in the Victoria Festival in 1996 and dreamed of forming a Victoria based survivor team. The Island Breaststrokers first team stepped into a dragon boat on July 9, 1997 and took part in the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival that August. Marjorie still paddles with IBS. 2008 is her 12th year.

2006 marked the tenth anniversary season of Island Breaststrokers Dragon Boat Team. Her Honour, the Honourable Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia hosted the traditional Friday evening survivor dinner at Government House. Nearly 300 breast cancer survivors spent a wonderful evening of celebration with Her Honour.

Island Breaststrokers commissioned local artist Loretta Joseph to create a new trophy for the Breast Cancer Challenge Race at the Victoria Festival. The beautiful Saltspring Island wood sculpture was presented to IBS as winners of the challenge and is on display at the Mammography Centre of the Victoria General Hospital, where every woman receiving a mammogram can be made aware of breast cancer and the fact that life after breast cancer can be healthy, active and rewarding.

The world championship in Singapore was the last festival of Island Breaststrokers’ 10th anniversary season. Breast cancer survivors from all over the world met to compete in races, compare their experiences, celebrate their survival and officially launch Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2006 in Singapore. Island Breaststrokers were very proud to bring home two gold medals and one silver medal to make us World Champions 2006!

The 2007 season was filled with local festivals in Vancouver, Victoria and Naniamo. IBS was a two-time winner of the Challenge races in Victoria and Naniamo and the delighted recipients of the CFAX Community Service Award for Greater Victoria. The fall saw the team head to Australia where we placed 8th out of 70 plus teams at the Australian International Breast Cancer Championship, missing the finals by “a dragon’s head.”

2008 promises to be another great season. See our schedule for 2008 and follow our progress throughout the summer.