Racing along the river at top speed in a dragon boat is only half the battle, according to Aussie Dragonflies paddlers at a morning tea on March 20.
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The group shared stories of their dragon boating adventures but also personal battles with cancer at the Big Morning Tea in Port Macquarie Uniting Church.
Flamin' Dragons Port Macquarie Dragonboat Club's Janet Kesby said the morning tea aimed to raise funds for cancer research and to pay homage to those with cancer.
"The morning tea has been very successful," she said.
"Community groups, walkers, Probus, tennis friends and Wauchope Country Women's Association have all turned up for the morning tea.
"It is for a good cause and about seven members of the team were able to share their stories."
Ms Kesby has previously recovered from mastectomies in 1991 and 1998, and signed on as one of the breast cancer survivor paddlers for Flamin' Dragons Abreast Club in 2005.
She took an active role in volunteering as treasurer from 2005 to 2010, competing in local and away regattas.
The cancer returned in 2007 and Kesby underwent six months of chemotherapy and major surgery.
The Aussie Dragonflies senior paddler credited exercise for boosting her recovery by maintaining activity through paddling and tennis.
"It has helped me enormously, it's (paddling) the best exercise you can get sitting in a boat," she said.
"Dragon boating makes you strong and it's definitely social being in the boat team."
Socialising was just the start, with the paddler attending four International Breast Cancer regattas in Australia, Canada, America and most recently last year in Italy.
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