(slow, happy music)
- [Instructor] Bring it in.
- When people see us, they either laugh or they cry,
or sometimes both (laughing).
Race well my sister.
And let your inner sparkles come on out.
Take that river by storm.
(women singing)
- Qualifying for the team and membership stinks.
We always say "We'd love for you to paddle,
but hope you never have to join our team."
We are United States' first
all breast cancer survivor dragon boat team.
- We are!
- Survivors!
- When I say pink, you say Phoenix.
(women cheering in response)
- The central mission of the team,
and the name of the team is this idea
of rising from the ashes.
- We've gone through the fires already.
And now we're emerging.
(water splashes)
- Come in strong.
Feel your power.
(women groan)
Right there.
Together!
To stand at the back of the boat
and watch all of those paddles come up
at the same time,
it's like the wings of the dragon unfolding.
And the power of the paddles
digging into the water and thrusting the boat forward.
It is just a thrill.
- You can't be a super-star and paddle that boat.
You need 19 other people to paddle.
And you have to be watching the woman's shoulder
in front of you.
And you can't do your own stroke,
'cause you've got to blend.
You've got to be in sync.
You've gotta do it as a group.
- Feel your power.
- [Merle] It's not about you're the fastest
or the strongest.
It's about we're in it together.
(encouraging motivation)
Just like we went through our survivorship,
we're in it together and this is how
we come through it together.
- First breath is for this river,
second breath is for this one team,
third breath is for all of our sisters still
in battle that would love to paddle with us today.
On three, two, one.
- [All Women] Peace!
(clapping)
- Every race, we do the three breaths.
It's a nice way to bring us all together,
and thinking about what is the real reason that we paddle.
- This is the first part of the equation,
that is going to get us to the end
of this successful weekend.
Is you, you, your one self.
- [Merle] The thing that I like best about Coach Alice
and her traditions is it brings us in a circle.
Like a circle of life.
And we all do a hands in, in the circle.
So we're all in it.
- She always makes us cry, she makes herself cry.
- Every single one of these people said
"I'm going to do something that I'm in control of,
because cancer is shitty and I'm not in control of that."
Always started off talking, and then started to cry.
And they, you know, they thought that was sweet,
but they also thought it was pretty funny (laughing).
You're going to cry aren't you?
There's a lot of things happening to you
that you can't control.
But all of you here have decided at some point
that you're taking control of things.
Are you ready to race?
- [All Women] Yes!
We are Pink Phoenix!
(cheering)
- [Instructor] Use this time to think
about what you're doing.
And relax, just relax, get loose.
- [Announcer] (indistinct announcement)
our Pink Phoenix team.
Pink Phoenix was the first cancer survivor team formed
in the United States, right here in Portland.
(air horn)
(cheering)
(encouraging, motivational instructions)
(cheering)
(drums beating cadence, paddlers shouting)
(crowd cheering; applause)
(crowd noise)
- Two, twenty-nine, fifty-five.
Two, twenty-nine, fifty-five, first!
- We won, woo hoo.
(cheering)
- [Sarah] I'm not sure where the flower ceremony started.
It's usually about three boats.
And we have our prayers and the things that we say.
And our thoughts.
- [Annette] That's when you think
about the women in your life,
that you've lost to this disease.
- I just didn't imagine that being part of the team
would include people passing away.
And I think that's been the hardest thing.
You get to know these people,
and the joy of having the opportunity (sniffling.)
You've had the opportunity to meet them.
So sorry (laughing).
- [Sarah] There're just too many women
who have lost that fight.
- [Merle] We throw flowers into the river,
to release those people.
Try to release our sorrows, and remember the good times.
- [Annette] You get off the boat
and you're walking up the ramp.
And all of a sudden, in front of you,
this enormous arch of paddles,
where there are people lined up.
Paddles are saluting you.
And you walk under the paddles.
- [Merle] The feeling that you get
with people giving you words
of encouragement and high fives and way to go's.
It just makes you feel good to be a part of that.
And feel like people are really supporting you.
(women cheering)
- You're not going to get that elation, the joy,
the gratitude, the appreciation, all that,
unless you have that pain too,
to counter it.
That is the reality.
That's what it is.
That's part of what it means to be a Pink.
Is that you just accept it all.
(cheering)
- One team!
One powerful group of women.
(motivational cheer)