I invited Oprah to join us

Show Idea:
Dragon Boat Racing: Oprah joins the WaterWarriors for a practice and a Regatta

I am a member of the WaterWarriors all-women's dragonboat racing team: http://www.waterwarriors.ca

We are a team of ordinary women who have been paddling together for five years, although many of us are new to the team this year. This competitive, Asian sport is one of the fastest growing sports in North America and has been embraced by men and women who are looking for competition and comradarie.

Dragonboat racing is just so much fun, Oprah - you have to try it! There are 20 women in the boat working together - 18 paddlers, a drummer and a steers(wo)man - in one fluid movement racing through the water.

Our team ranges in age from late 20's to early-60's - although I'm sure Val and Karalee act more like mid-20's than early 60's.

The WaterWarriors began when two women, Cheryl and Ida decided to bring a community of women together for strength and friendship. Since that time, both the coach and steers(wo)man have lost their husbands in tragic accidents.

The Waterwarriors have proved to be their strength and the sport is a healthy escape for all of us from the hard pieces of our lives. Shelly, our coach whose world-class kayaking husband drowned that first year - is one of the most encouraging women I've ever known. She inspires us all to more than we ever knew we could be - and she's really funny while she does it!

This is my first year with the team and I can't seem to get enough of it! The stress of starting a business, parenting 4 children and keeping my home running is exhausting. This was on the heels of my husband's depression and unemployment. I was overwhelmed.

I was invited to join the Waterwarriors and have found it to be a safe place to be myself with other real women who are fast becoming really great friends. Every one of us has a story of why we Dragonboat.

Dragonboat Teams for Breast Cancer survivors began in Vancouver, BC with "Abreast in a Boat". Their story is here:
http://www.abreastinaboat.com

The women on the Breast Cancer Survivor teams are all survivors of breast cancer. At every Regatta, there is a Carnation ceremony where we honor the Breast Cancer Survivors and tribute those who did not survive the battle while raising funds for Cancer Research. This ceremony is unbelieveably emotional as most everyone at the Regatta has been touched in some way by Breast Cancer.

After the ceremony, teams like ours (not survivors) make an archway with our paddles under which the Breast Cancer survivors walk as we honor them in their battle. I wasn't expecting to be so emotional as I was at my first Carnation Ceremony, but it put so many faces on Breast Cancer. I couldn't stop crying - and the empathy extended to the survivors was palpable.

We would love for you to join our team to practice and to compete in a Regatta with us. We'd love to introduce other men and women (Breast Cancer survivors and others) in North America to an Asian sport that is so much more than paddling.

Please come out to beautiful Cultus Lake, BC, Canada to join the Waterwarriors as we practice on our Dragonboat and join us for a Regatta one day. When you meet the WaterWarriors, you'll meet a very extraordinary group of ordinary women.

ps: bring along lucky red licorice Twizzlers - we can't compete without them