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Galloping white horses across the harbour on a breezy Wellington evening are no deterrent to this team of determined women as they push their bodies to the limit,  ‘Rrrreach’ and ‘Rrreach’, together on they paddle, literally for their lives. These women are breast cancer survivors bonded together in a shared experience from that chilling moment of discovery to the raft of emotions that followed; surgery, mastectomy, reconstruction, chemotherapy, radiotherapy.

The rowing movement exercises the upper body so helping prevent Lymphedoma a building up of fluid usually in the arm in women who have had breast cancer, so here they are out training in a dragon boat. There was a time when not one of them could ever have imagined doing such a thing. Their focus now is the 2012 competitions where they hope to add a gold medal to the silver and bronze collected last year. Nothing can hold them back they are a very determined bunch. Their one draw- back is that they cannot practice on the harbour all year around as they do not own their own boat.

On the way back from Nationals earlier this year a plan was hatched…to create a calendar – not just any calendar. A calendar with team members posing “Calendar Girls” style with dragon boat props…  After a bit of encouragement, lots of laughs and a glass of wine these lovely ladies strip and show the world that their bodies are beautiful and breast cancer is a very real thing and they have survived! Photographer Greg Young generously donates his services.  Design layout decisions follow plus a few sleepless nights, finally the deadline arrives and the calendar rolls off the press.

What comes out is tasteful and fun, showing that these brave women are getting on and living life; that they are vibrant, fabulous, gorgeous and sexy despite what they
have been through. Perfect they are not with all shapes, sizes and ages. They are real women showing how indiscriminate this disease can be.

The Wellington Breast Cancer Survivors “Celebration of Women” Calendar 2012 will be launched on the evening of October 13 . Winnie Laban, herself a breast cancer
survivor speaking.

You can purchase “A Celebration of Women” Calendar 2012 from [email protected] or online at www.gregoryyoungphotography.com

Joyce Elwood-Smith
Proud Mother-in Law of Miss October

Tags: survivor