Pittwater Life April 2023 Issue

News
Pittwater Pinks take on world
Donna Paredes first experienced
breast cancer in
2008 at the age of 39, undergoing
breast reconstruction
surgery as a result. She has
had two recurrences since
then. She has absolutely no
doubt as to the role the Pinks
– a wonderful group of breast
cancer survivors who paddle
for the Bei Loon Dragonboat
Club on Pittwater – have
played in her ongoing battle.
“I recently relocated to the
Northern Beaches and had
previously been in a Dragonboat
team. Because of surgery
I had a frozen shoulder and
only one functioning arm,
so I wasn’t sure whether the
Pinks would accept me,”
Donna explains. “But they
said ‘come on down and we’ll
carry you’.
“And they did, they let me
sit up front in the boat while
they paddled. The group has
been really important to me,”
she continues. “They really
did save my life.”
The Pittwater Pinks Dragonboat
Team is a team made
up solely of Breast Cancer
Survivors. Some “26 walking
miracles” as Donna describes
them.
The Pittwater Pinks, who
started in 2005, stem from a
now worldwide phenomenon
of Pink Lady Dragonboat
teams that was started by Dr
Don MacKenzie, a British Columbia
exercise physiologist.
He found that women
FOCUSED: The Pittwater Pinks head to New Zealand in April.
facing the challenge of
breast cancer benefited from
exercise, and particularly
upper-body exercises. In fact,
paddling specifically eases a
condition which many women
suffer after breast surgery,
called lymphoedema, which
can cause painful swellings
in the arm.
The team is a mixture
of paddlers from social to
competitive, and have competed
locally, nationally and
internationally, training out
of Rowland Reserve.
The local Pinks are about to
face one of their biggest challenges
as a team yet, when
they travel to New Zealand to
compete in the International
Breast Cancer Dragon Boat
Festival from April 10-16.
Team coach Wynette Monserrat
has high hopes for the
team’s performance.
Jenny Jones, a member
since 2006, says the group
don’t talk about breast cancer
“unless people really want
advice”.
“It’s just a really nice gentle
support group; we just enjoy
being fit and keep turning
up for a paddle on Sundays,”
she says.
The Pinks have many
events off the water as well,
including coffee at 8 Knots
and monthly meetings at Collaroy
Beach Club – their two
biggest sponsors.
Donna adds there is a serious
undercurrent though.
“People who haven’t had
cancer don’t get it, they never
know exactly how it feels,”
she says. “We’ve all dealt with
our own mortality as part of
the process.” – Rob Pegley
*Registrations for the Pittwater
Pinks are open yearround.
Email Jenny at pittwaterpinks@hotmail.com.
6THINGS
THIS MONTH
Memorial concert. Barrenjoey
High School is holding an outdoor
concert on the school grounds
for the whole community on Fri
March 31 from 6pm to honour
teacher Layne Visser who passed
away in 2020. Ex-students,
teachers, close friends of Layne’s
and local bands including The
Rions will perform with food
trucks on-site plus fundraising for
Avalon Youth Hub.
SES women’s course. A free
workshop for women to gain
practical knowledge and learn
how to prepare for storms, floods
and other emergencies, run by
experienced female Warringah-
Pittwater SES members at unit
headquarters, Gate 3 Thompson
Drive Terrey Hills, on Sun 2 from
2pm-4pm. Register via Facebook.
Camera club. Want to learn
more about photography and
improve your skills? The Pittwater
Camera Club has a great lineup
of speakers, outings and
events scheduled with regular
meetings at Pittwater RSL; details
pittwatercameraclub.org.
Solar roadshow. Head to Mona
Vale Library on Thu 20 from
10am-12pm with your energy bill
and learn how you can reduce
it with free tips from Council’s
sustainability team. No bookings
required. More details on
Council’s website.
Buddy Holly show. During
this two-hour show Scot Robin,
who played the lead role in
the smash-hit musical Buddy,
together with his Crickets, will
perform over 30 hit songs such
as That’ll Be The Day, Heartbeat,
Think It Over, Peggy Sue, Raining
In My Heart, Maybe Baby and of
course Oh Boy! on Sat 22 at Glen
Street Theatre from 8pm. Book
online.
Pottery workshop. The
Hermannsburg Potters, a group
of Western Aranda artists who
live and work in Ntaria, a remote
community 130km west of
Alice Springs, are holding a fun
workshop at Manly Art Gallery
and Museum where you can
learn to sculpt a clay animal of
your own on Sun 30 from 2pm-
3.30pm. Cost from $50; bookings
essential at MAG&M website or
02 9976 1421.
20 APRIL 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991