Go Ladies...go...
posted by TSTB @ 8:02 AM
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Danskin TRI 2008
Congratulations to our 12 Team members who particpated in the Danskin Triathlon in Orlando! And a big THANK YOU to Kathy Cabble for coordinating the event! It ran like clockwork!! I've attached the split times for this year's race (and the previous 3 years) on the spreadsheet attached 
posted by TSTB @ 3:03 PM
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Tavares Station Central Florida
Pink Dragon Ladies Open 2007 Season in Tavares, Florida
The Pink Dragon Ladies kicked off their 2007 season at the Tavares Station Central Florida Dragon Boat Festival in Tavares, Florida on March 31. This was the first time the team competed at this event and they are the first all women team and the first cancer survivor team to compete in Tavares.
http://www.cfdragonboat.org/
Twenty PDLs arrived on a chilly and breezy Saturday morning. After a delayed start, the team paid close attention to the weather and race conditions on the 500 meter course and were undaunted by the swamping of a competitor’s boat in an early heat! This was the first race experience for Joanne Bossa, Cherry Jones, Nadine Pazder, and the steersman, Lonnie Homenuk, but all performed admirably under challenging circumstances!
Under the skilled coaching of Joan Busenbarrick, the Pink Dragon Ladies demonstrated their conditioning and concentration over the ragged 500 meter course. Despite facing the strongest h
eadwinds of the day, the team finished 17 out of 28 in the first heat in a time of 2:52.12. In the second heat the competition started to catch on, and the PDLs dropped to 24th place, finishing the course in 2:53.16. Losing 3 team members to other commitments in the afternoon, the Pink Dragon Ladies completed the last race in a time of 2:58.72 and finished the race festival in a respectable 22nd place overall, leaving 6 co-ed teams in their frothy wake!
Dressed in pink and purple uniforms and sporting their signature pink paddles, the Pink Dragon Ladies donned their purple boas for photo opportunities and their interview with Bobby Rocket on the Dragon Boat Channel. Needless to say, the team was not surprised but certainly delighted to receive the trophy for the best team uniform/costume!
The team would like to say a special “thank you” to the following dedicated PDL supporters for their participation in Tavares: Lonny Homenuk, cox; Wendy “Land Crab” Leavens, Land Manager; Giselle Boothby, drummer; Nelson Drouillard, PDL pastry chef.
Tavares PDL Paddlers: CL Banks, C Beitzel, J. Bossa, J. Busenbarrick, K. Cabble, M. Campbell, B. Correll, E. Diamond, M. Donnelly, M. Drouillard, L. Fessell, M. Hamilton, C. Jones, J. Mains, E. Meyer, K. Murphy, L. O’Connell, N. Pazder, M. Semko, W. Stevens. Injured Reserve: P. Knowlton.
Comments on the Tavares Race
(by Melba Campbell)
The only all women's team at the Tavares festival approached the race just as the team members have when faced with a cancer diagnosis. They reached down within themselves, dug deeply into the water, and never stopped paddling. Perhaps they learned this “never give up” attitude from their battle with cancer.
This astonishing group of women live with cancer everyday. Climbing aboard the boat and paddling toward the starting line they forget they are all survivors. They become dragon slayers. They expect to win the boat race just as they continue to slay the cancer dragon.
The women gave various reasons for joining the Pink Dragon Ladies. Brenda said, "It was the camaraderie with other survivors, a sense of I can do it all, and it's a fun way to stay fit.” Joanne said “It's tough, but fun. I was hesitant to begin because of lymph node removal, but have proven to myself that I can.”
The Pink Dragon Ladies kicked off their 2007 season at the Tavares Station Central Florida Dragon Boat Festival in Tavares, Florida on March 31. This was the first time the team competed at this event and they are the first all women team and the first cancer survivor team to compete in Tavares.
Tavares, FL 03/31/07
http://www.cfdragonboat.org/
Twenty PDLs arrived on a chilly and breezy Saturday morning. After a delayed start, the team paid close attention to the weather and race conditions on the 500 meter course and were undaunted by the swamping of a competitor’s boat in an early heat! This was the first race experience for Joanne Bossa, Cherry Jones, Nadine Pazder, and the steersman, Lonnie Homenuk, but all performed admirably under challenging circumstances!
Under the skilled coaching of Joan Busenbarrick, the Pink Dragon Ladies demonstrated their conditioning and concentration over the ragged 500 meter course. Despite facing the strongest h
eadwinds of the day, the team finished 17 out of 28 in the first heat in a time of 2:52.12. In the second heat the competition started to catch on, and the PDLs dropped to 24th place, finishing the course in 2:53.16. Losing 3 team members to other commitments in the afternoon, the Pink Dragon Ladies completed the last race in a time of 2:58.72 and finished the race festival in a respectable 22nd place overall, leaving 6 co-ed teams in their frothy wake!Dressed in pink and purple uniforms and sporting their signature pink paddles, the Pink Dragon Ladies donned their purple boas for photo opportunities and their interview with Bobby Rocket on the Dragon Boat Channel. Needless to say, the team was not surprised but certainly delighted to receive the trophy for the best team uniform/costume!
The team would like to say a special “thank you” to the following dedicated PDL supporters for their participation in Tavares: Lonny Homenuk, cox; Wendy “Land Crab” Leavens, Land Manager; Giselle Boothby, drummer; Nelson Drouillard, PDL pastry chef.
Tavares PDL Paddlers: CL Banks, C Beitzel, J. Bossa, J. Busenbarrick, K. Cabble, M. Campbell, B. Correll, E. Diamond, M. Donnelly, M. Drouillard, L. Fessell, M. Hamilton, C. Jones, J. Mains, E. Meyer, K. Murphy, L. O’Connell, N. Pazder, M. Semko, W. Stevens. Injured Reserve: P. Knowlton.
Comments on the Tavares Race
(by Melba Campbell)
The only all women's team at the Tavares festival approached the race just as the team members have when faced with a cancer diagnosis. They reached down within themselves, dug deeply into the water, and never stopped paddling. Perhaps they learned this “never give up” attitude from their battle with cancer.
This astonishing group of women live with cancer everyday. Climbing aboard the boat and paddling toward the starting line they forget they are all survivors. They become dragon slayers. They expect to win the boat race just as they continue to slay the cancer dragon.
The women gave various reasons for joining the Pink Dragon Ladies. Brenda said, "It was the camaraderie with other survivors, a sense of I can do it all, and it's a fun way to stay fit.” Joanne said “It's tough, but fun. I was hesitant to begin because of lymph node removal, but have proven to myself that I can.”
posted by TSTB @ 10:56 AM
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Annual Meeting
Thanks to all of you who were able to attend our Annual Meeting on 11/19. We had a very productive meeting - passing our first official By-laws and Standing Rules and working up an event schedule for the year. We even managed to pull off our elections without hanging chads or recounts!
The new leaders beginning their terms in 2007 are:
President: Liz O'Connell
Vice President: Kathy Murphy
Secretary: Marcie Hamilton
Treasurer: Marianne Semko
Coach: Joan Busenbarrick
Fundraising/Public Relations: Carol Lee Banks
Membership: Becky Lloyd
Event coordinators and land managers will be selected for individual events which will allow members to contribute their time and talent for selected events and periods of time. Committee members are needed to serve on standing committees (Budget/Fundraising, Membership etc.) . Please contact any of us if you have ideas or events that you would like to work on for the Team.
posted by TSTB @ 4:33 PM
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
The Dragon Boat Experience
SATURDAY, NOV. 4, 2006Have you ever wondered what it is like to be part of something powerful yet graceful? To be both exhausted and exhilarated? To feel you are unique yet part of a cohesive team? To feel like a winner in the battle against cancer? If you have, then it's time for you to experience The Dragon! Here's your chance to change how you see yourself AND your cancer!
The Pink Dragon Ladies dragon boat team enthusiastically invites you to join them for a free introduction to dragon boating on Saturday, November 4 at 10:00 am. We will meet on the dock behind the Tampa Marriott Waterside at 700 S. Florida Ave.
You will learn about the ancient dragon boat tradition and join Florida's only cancer survivor dragon boat team in paddling our beautiful 42' canoe, The Dragon Lady. We are women who come in all ages, shapes and walks of life. We came as strangers and came together as a team. Come join us for a morning of good exercise, and great fun! Refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP to Kathy by Nov. 1 at 813-221-5090 or email info to TeamSurvivorTampaBay@hotmail.com
The Pink Dragon Ladies dragon boat team is part of Team Survivor Tampa Bay, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit corporation. All of its' members are cancer survivors who share a desire to be physically active, to support each other, and to encourage other women living with cancer to lead full and active lives.
posted by TSTB @ 9:54 PM
Friday, May 19, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
April 29, 2006
The Pink Dragon Ladies are back and they have been busy! Inspired by the 2005 Race, the paddlers have incorporated as Team Survivor Tampa Bay and have purchased their very own dragon boat - "The Dragon Lady"! With the Tampa Bay Dragon Boat Race as its premier event, the TSTB promotes a healthy and activel ifestyle and provides organized opportunities for physical fitness, wellness education, and psycho-social empowerment for female cancer survivors. The Team is forever indebted to its major boat sponsors, Drs. Kathryn Kepes and Rand Altemose, to its race sponsor Kevin Burns, and to all of its donors and supporters for their commitment and confidence in the Team.
Pink paddles . . . purple boat . . . pure passion!
posted by TSTB @ 3:06 PM
