Paddling for life after cancer

Breast cancer survivors from across the north west including Lancaster and Morecambe are part of the charity Paddlers for Life, who paddle dragon boats on Windermere at Low Wood Bay near Ambleside.

The charity is for people who have been treated for cancer, most often breast cancer, or family members and friends or other supporters.

The exercise helps health and wellbeing both during and after treatment and also ameliorates some of the effects of treatment such as lymphoedema and tiredness.

The friendship, shared experience and team spirit of paddling can be extremely supportive after a cancer diagnosis.

June Baker from Lancaster and her sister Mags Roberts are both survivors of breast cancer and paddle each Sunday on Lake Windermere.

June said: “The International Celebration of Life Festival is held every four years always hosted by a different country. We have previously attended them in Peterborough, Canada in 2010 and in Sarasota, Florida in 2014.

“We are absolutely thrilled that it is being held in Florence Europe and that we are taking a team there as there will be over 129 teams from 17 countries attending. It will be the biggest Pink event to be staged in raising awareness of Breast Cancer Survivorship and of using the sport of dragon boat racing to maintain health and fitness.”