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Kootenay Robusters hang up their paddles for the season

The dragonboat is safely denned up for winter

Submitted by Kootenay Robusters

On a spectacular autumn day, the team paddled their dragon boat from Christina Lakeside Resort, to its new home just east of Christina Lake Provincial Park.

After years of planning and work to secure the proper approvals and funding, the dragonboat finally has a den.

The big question of the day was, “How many women does it take to carry a forty foot dragon boat from the shore to the boathouse?”

Turns out, 11 was the magic number, although it required a few stops along the way.

At least half the team are senior citizens and as one member observed, “ We may not be strong individually, but when there are enough of us we can get the job done.”

Next item of business was moving the outrigger canoe, which is as long as the dragon boat and just as heavy.

Luckily we had a set of wheels which made this transfer a lot easier. There is still lots of room in the boat house for our safety boat and all our equipment and we are thrilled to finally have our own place.

The Robusters would like to thank all the individual donors and community groups that contributed to this project.

The future of paddling at Christina Lake is now much more secure and we hope to expand our program to include more people interested in learning a sport that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels and can be done by paddlers of all ages.

Our next goal is to purchase a cart so we can move the dragon boat more easily.

Supporters can help by buying our annual scenic calendar, now available at the usual outlets, markets and craft fairs. And don’t forget, we are always looking for new paddlers - any woman who’s interested is welcome to come and give it a try.

Check our website: kootenayrobusters.com.

The Kootenay Robusters is a non-profit organization for breast cancer survivors and associates to experience physical, emotional, spiritual and mental wellness at a level that they find comfortable and personally challenging.

Read more: Kootenay Robusters invite new paddlers to dragon boat (2022)

Read more: Kootenay Robusters find a den for their dragon boat (2021)

Read more: Kootenay Robusters park the dragon for the season (2020)



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