Irene (left) and Rietta (right) after the competition.
KOTA KINABALU: The 28th Sabah Dragon Boat Race, which is an annual international event, has over the years been attracting both foreign and local competitors.
The Dragon Boat Race festival this year, held in conjunction with the Chinese Duanwu festival also known as the Dumpling Festival, was no different in that it had attracted international competitors from Singapore, Australia, and Brunei.
These teams competed in the 200 metres and 800 metres boat racing events, in addition to a special Breast Cancer Survivors Women category.
Singapore’s ‘Paddlers in Pink’ team stood as the defending champions in the Breast Cancer Survivors Women category, having attended last year’s 27th Sabah Dragon Boat Race as well.
Team captain, Irene Chui, and vice-captain, Rietta Teo, of the Singapore team of 33 people were both clad in full pink apparel, a color symbolizing breast cancer awareness. Their team represented the Breast Cancer Foundation of Singapore in the competition.
Both women were ecstatic to have won the title again this year and proudly stood as the race champions in addition to being breast cancer survivors.
“We want to show that we can still enjoy life to the fullest despite the ordeal we had to go through,” Irene said.
Dragon boat paddling is a great form of exercise which helps to keep survivors in good health, according to Irene.
Both had also hoped to send the message that “early detection saves lives, saves breasts” as the age of breast cancer patients grow younger each year.
They also said that the team intends to join another dragon boat race in Putrajaya, Malaysia next June.