Dragons Abreast Townsville isn’t an ordinary sports club.
Made up of breast cancer survivors and their supporters, the dragon boat club has met regularly since 2004, paddling in pink along the waters of Cleveland Bay and the Ross River.
But soon Dragons Abreast Townsville will swap their oars for running shoes – joining with thousands of other North Queenslanders at Cluden Park on Sunday 8 March for the 2026 Mater Chicks in Pink International Women’s Day Fun Run presented by Queensland X-Ray, raising funds to support women impacted by breast cancer.
Dragons Abreast Townsville Coordinator Joanne Richter, who will be among the participants joining the Sea of Pink, was 46-years-old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020.
“One day I got the flu and I just wasn’t getting better,” Ms Richter said.
“I had a lump in my chest that I had checked at Queensland X-Ray at Mater… it turned out to be a 3.5-centimetre lump which I had biopsied straight away.”
Ms Richter was diagnosed with Stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma, and her treatment at Mater Private Hospital Townsville (MPHT) began immediately.
“Within four weeks I had two surgeries to remove the lump and some lymph nodes that turned out to be positive for cancer as well,” Ms Richter said.
One in every four Queensland women diagnosed with breast cancer is treated at a Mater hospital.
Six months of chemotherapy and four weeks of radiation followed for Ms Richter, before ongoing hormone-blocking therapy, and a hysterectomy in January last year to address her high risk of uterine cancer.
Ms Richter said joining Dragons Abreast Townsville has helped greatly in her recovery.
“The ladies in the club are inspirational… it was hard to bring my fitness up from zero, and my arms would be sore from paddling,” she said.
“Dragon boating helps incredibly with lymphoedema, which I have as a result of my lymph nodes being removed.
“I just thought if I could get out there and give it a go it would change my life, and it has… anyone is welcome to come along and give dragon boating a try.”
Ms Richter stressed the importance of getting regular breast cancer check-ups, particularly for women over the age of 40.
“I come from a large family, and we had almost no history of cancer,” Ms Richter said.
“People are talking about it more and more – getting yourself checked is vital because so many women are impacted by this disease.
“If you find a lump on your breast or have any concerns at all, just go and get checked… the earlier the detection, the better.
“The International Women’s Day Fun Run is great exposure for the cause, raising awareness as well as money towards research and treatment that mean fewer women are dying of this disease.”
MPHT General Manager Stephanie Barwick said the International Women’s Day Fun Run helps support the one in four Queensland women diagnosed with breast cancer who are treated at Mater hospitals.
“We know one in seven Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives,” Ms Barwick said.
“By participating in Fun Run or making a donation, you can play a part in improving treatments and support world-leading research.
“North Queenslanders can join almost 30,000 people walking, running and rolling 5km across Queensland to help us reach our goal of $2 million for Mater Chicks in Pink.”
You can register for Townsville’s edition of Fun Run by heading online to www.womensdayfunrun.com.au.
