Cancer survivors on Seattle dragon boat team qualify for world championships in Taipei

A Seattle-area dragon boat team composed entirely of cancer survivors has qualified to compete at the Club Crew World Championships in Taipei, Taiwan, this summer, bringing an extraordinary story of resilience and camaraderie to the international stage.

Survivor Sake, a crew within the broader Club Sake paddling organization, earned its spot after competing at the national championships in Florida last year. The team is made up entirely of women who have been diagnosed with cancer.  They are considered survivors from the moment treatment begins.

“There’s something very powerful when you’re surrounded by people that have gone through the same things,” Luciana Bosio, co-captain of Survivor Sake, told “Seattle’s Morning News.” “You don’t need to speak about it. You know what others feel about it. And so it’s a very strong connection that we have. We don’t need to talk about it. It’s there, but we ignore it.”

Dragon boating is a paddling sport with ancient roots in China, dating back roughly 2,500 years. Teams of 20 paddlers sit in pairs in a long boat, with a drummer at the front keeping time and a steerer standing at the back. Races are typically sprints over 200- or 500-meter distances.

Survivor Sake is part of Team Survivor Northwest, a nonprofit that offers outdoor activities and fitness programs — including hiking and online classes — to women who have been diagnosed with cancer. Dragon boating is among the offerings.

Coach marvels at survivor crew’s transformation from newcomers to world competitors

Roula Bland, head coach of Club Sake, said the survivor crew stands out even within a diverse organization that includes paddlers ranging in age from their 20s to their 90s.

“The survivor ladies are really an inspiring group of people — some who have never been sporty in their life, and all of a sudden, they’re on the international stage,” Bland said. “The camaraderie that comes through and the support and the grit are amazing.”

Bland noted that Club Sake is also sending its 60-plus mixed crew, called the Senior Seas, to the world championships. The club is currently training intensively for the competition, where teams will face opponents from countries across the International Dragon Boat Federation.

Bosio said she initially resisted the label of cancer survivor after her diagnosis, even warning colleagues during her time working in radio not to use the term around her. But joining the team changed her perspective.

“It’s what brought us together,” Bosio said. “For membership, you don’t want to belong to our club because you have to have had cancer somehow, but it is a beautiful thing that comes after being diagnosed.”  She described the addictive thrill of competition and emphasized the sport’s team-first nature. “There’s no one person who is better than the others,” Bosio said. “The whole team has to go together, or you’re gonna lose.”

Cancer survivors selling handmade scarves to get every member to Taipei

Funding the trip to Taipei has been a challenge. To offset costs, the team has been selling hand-dyed silk scarves created by club members — a craft taught by one of the Survivor Sake paddlers who is also an artist.

“We are selling those scarves to raise money so that everyone who wants to go to this competition can go,” Bosio said.

The team’s age range is itself a testament to the sport’s accessibility. Bosio noted that one Survivor Sake member retired from dragon boating just a few months shy of her 90th birthday. Bland added that a gentleman in the club’s recreational crew is 92.

“It is definitely a great sport to get into — all levels, all levels of fitness, different levels of coordination,” Bland said. “There’s a place for everyone.”

Club Sake practices in Seattle’s South Lake Union. More information is available at clubsake.com, and details about Team Survivor Northwest can be found here.

Manda Factor is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. Follow Manda on X and email her here. 

Follow @MandaFactor