PINK Stories: Rachel P.

Nearly four years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. During a self-examination, I discovered a mass in my right breast. Despite knowing what it probably was, hearing the words, "It's cancer," was still a profound gut punch. I recall a doctor telling me I was about to embark on a journey. I imagined being dragged from a train, kicking and screaming, “Why me? Why do I have to go on this journey?!?!?”

Once the initial shock wore off, I resolved to take three steps:

1) to educate myself as thoroughly as possible

2) to approach my treatment with unwavering positivity

3) to seek out the good.

My treatment involved a regimen of chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, further chemotherapy, and several years of hormone therapy. Every time I went to my appointments, I would look around the waiting room for someone else like me. Going thru treatment in Covid times was isolating and made it hard to find support. One day while waiting for my infusion, I came across a magazine called Brighter-  for women experiencing cancer. A few pages in was an article about a group of breast cancer survivors and thrivers who met every Saturday morning on White Rock Lake to do a thing called Dragon Boating. There were pictures of them paddling in what looked like a giant canoe with a dragon’s head on the front of the boat. I knew I had to find this group.

In 2023, I located them on the lake, and in 2024, I joined their team, DUC Pink. Each Saturday morning, I eagerly rise to join these remarkable women. We stretch, chat, and then embark on our boat, where we sweat, laugh, chant, and paddle across the lake. Occasionally, we compete in festivals, and in 2026, we will be traveling to Aix-les-Bains, France, to participate in the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission Festival. Yes, we’re taking this dragon boat adventure international—celebrating life and camaraderie with other incredible women from around the globe. How’s that for a journey?