The Kootenay Robusters have once again stepped up in support of local healthcare, donating $1,000 to the Oncology Department at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH).
The funds were raised through sales of the group’s annual calendar, which features scenic photography from across the Kootenays.
With this latest contribution, the Robusters have now donated a total of $72,500 to KBRH and Boundary Hospital in support of cancer care.
The Kootenay Robusters are a local dragon boat team made up of breast cancer survivors and associate paddlers who joined to support them.
Their commitment to healthcare advocacy and fundraising has made a lasting impact in the region.
The group’s calendar has become a recognizable fundraiser, known not only for its cause but also for its striking imagery of Kootenay landscapes.
Submissions are now open for the 2026 calendar.
To contribute a photo and learn more, visit www.kootenayrobusters.com/call-for-photos.
Kootenay Robusters
The Kootenay Robusters are a non-profit dragon boat team made up of breast cancer survivors and their supporters, united by a shared mission to promote physical, emotional, and mental wellness through paddling.
Founded in early 2001, the team began as the vision of a Trail-based nurse and breast cancer survivor who, inspired by the pioneering “Abreast In A Boat” team, set out to create a similar group in the Kootenays.
Starting with no equipment, no experience, and the nearest lake miles away, a group of women from Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Christina Lake, and Grand Forks came together with a single goal: to race in Vancouver’s dragon boat festival.
After leasing a boat and launching their training on Christina Lake, the Robusters made their competitive debut with only one month of paddling behind them.
By fall, they were racing in Kelowna and earned second place in the Breast Cancer Challenge.
The link between dragon boating and breast cancer awareness has roots in a 1996 Vancouver study led by Dr. Don McKenzie.
At the time, conventional wisdom warned that upper body exercise could cause lymphedema, a common complication of breast cancer.
Dr. McKenzie’s study proved otherwise, sparking a global movement.
Today, more than 50 survivor teams around the world paddle in solidarity, strength, and support.
For the Kootenay Robusters, dragon boating is more than a sport, it’s a way to challenge limits, build community, and share the empowering message that there is life after breast cancer.
