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PRESS RELEASE
Angels on Dragons:
Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival
A DRAGON BOAT TEAM WITH SPIRIT
June 21 – 22, 1997
Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
 Angels on Dragons: Dragon Boat Team competeing in 5 races at the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival, June 21 – 22, 1997, Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
June 18, 1997
The Celebration of Life Centre - Angels on Dragons dragon boat team meets life’s challenges by addressing personal development and spiritual issues, through dragon boat racing.
“THE DRAGON BOAT IS A METAPHOR FOR LIFE! We all get to the finsih line, the difference is how conscious we are of our experience,” claims the back of their T-shirt.
The team’s individual experiences includes: survivors of Cancer, AIDS, Hepatitis C; as well as firewalking, black belt karate, bungee jumping, scuba diving, choir singing, flying airplanes, urban art and a recent 13 hour 63 km hike. The average age is 40 something and almost all the team members never considered themselves athletic before. Three months ago, none of them expected they would ever be on a dragon boat. These Angels on Dragons prove that age and illness are not barriers to dragon boating.
Todd Wong, 37, the team coach and drummer, is a 7 year cancer survivor. He was given a 60% chance to live on June 21, 1989 when a large tumor was discovered behind his breastbone, without treatment he would have lasted two weeks. A SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal recipient, Todd regularly speaks at Terry Fox Runs around Greater Vancouver and volunteers with the HOPE Cancer Health Centre. He is a personl coach and life skills worker, and studies health and sport psychology. “I coach to draw out the best in each person, to help them discover new levels of mastery experiences and performanace enhancement.”
Bradford McIntyre, 45, lead stroker, who is HIV+ was told he had six months to live on November 28, 1985. His life has been about healing ever since, overcoming various illnesses. He is an advocate for active health and support, he was a guest on the Dini Petty show for World AIDS Day 1994, and he gave a WORLD AIDS Day address on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in 1996. Today, Bradford's freinds and family are amazed he is paddling a dragon boat. “People have to understand that the greatest healing comes from within. I have made a conscious decision to ‘Show up for Life,’ and dragon boating has really challenged me.
Juhli Hansen teaches firewalk seminars each month as powerful physical demonstration of the connection beteeen mind and body and to teach personal development. Juhli has walked across the hot coals over 1000 times and has taught 3 of the team members how to walk on fire, including the coach, Todd Wong, who says “It’s perfect for dragonboating. You really learn about the importance of mental focus and push yourself past your perceived limitaions.” Juhli Hansen says that the firewalk is a symbol of the power we possess to expand our belief system, “My experience with firewalks show they help people move past self-imposed limitations in many different areas of their lives.”
WE ARE A TEAM, WE LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER, WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT.
Maxine Seale, 42, insurance broker, “I think dragon boating is an experience everybody should try. It can look intimidating but it’s not. It does push you to your limits. The team spirit brings it all together.”
Maureen Supreene, 42, marketing manager, “I like the process of starting off not being able to do something and then seeing it connect. It’s very satisfying to do it in a supportive environment.”
Lois Brassart, 45, marketing manager, “The confidence comes from doing something you didn’t think you could do, what you think as impossible, the same thing you would say about firewalking. I had never been on a team before. I’ve really learned what a team is about — it’s not all your responsibility — you help each other out. You can do so much more as a team, the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Paddy Dornana, 55, entrepeneur, “We’re already winners, because of what we have accomplished already.”
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS PADDLING THROUGH THE CURRENTS AND CROSS TIDES OF LIFE.
Judy Gaudin-Riese, 53, gerontologist, recognizes that the community involement many team members have tempers their approach to life— “It expresses itself through working together, conciliation and compassion, rather than anger, competition, or confrontation. We come from a good heart, our motive is to enjoy and build our team and to be the best for the team. Our coach, Todd, has great leadership qualities, team building abilities, he inspires others, encourages others to share, and builds a sense of trust that has truly created a wonderful supportive team environment.”
Rev. Marilyn Knipp, 53, leads the Celebration of Live Centre. An avid outdoor enthusiast, she has canoed the Bowron Lake circut twice. Marilyn’s Sunday service message gets integrated into that afternoon’s coaching session by th team's coach, including themes such as Learning to Accept Change, Flowing with the Force, and Creating Your Field of Dreams. “I really love dragon boating. It’s an awesome experience, paddling together, watching the team come together as one. We get to experience physically the successful results of our efforts as we overcome the challenges of the sport—It's just like Life, learning to enjoy the process.”
Celebration of Life Centre – Angels on Dragons TEAM:
Todd Wong, Bradford, McIntyre, Stephen Archibald, Robekha Ashley, George Baron, Lois Brassart, Craig Brown, Chrystal Buschau, Paddy Doran, Boyd Fuller, Judy Gaudin, Juhli Hansen, Steven Hinder, Barbara Holmes, Helen, Jackson, Sandra Kewley, Marilyn Knipp, Dennis McCrossan, Doug McIntyre, Bev McLean, Lisa Ruckaber, Maxine Searle, Leesa Strimbicki, Maureen Supeene, and Cecile Williams.
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ANGLES on DRAGONS
Call (604) 524-6865
or (604) 688-7702
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