Paddler Spotlight: Robin O'Connor

Robin O’Connor: Fighting Cancer with Dragon Power

I began my fight with the Cancer Beast in April 2006 while paddling with a dragon boat team in Newport Beach and preparing for competitions in China. I found the tumor during my routine breast exam. My support was my husband Pat, listening to survivors on my boat, and my special dragon boat warrior friends Andi and Wilma. I competed in China, had a successful lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation, and got my life back. 

In January of 2020 my husband and I retired, moved to Los Osos and I joined the Central Coast SurviveOars dragon boat team. Five weeks later we were in Covid lockdown and I experienced the true friendship, camaraderie and support of the team–off the boat. For more than a year of ‘no sports’, we got together for hiking, kayaking and a lot of laughing! I found my posse.

In June 2022, the Beast returned. I was diagnosed with metastatic triple negative breast cancer. Chemo was and continues to be the only option. With the support of my posse, I started infusions, shaved my falling out hair and continued to paddle regularly with the team.

I also joined a zoom support group with the Hearst Cancer Resource Center (a nonprofit partner of CCDBA). They provide free resources like a nutritionist, support groups, wig and makeup advice and intuitive collage. I also participated in Cancer Wellfit, an exercise program specifically for cancer survivors. 

With the tough realization that I will be on some sort of cancer treatment for the rest of my life, I am grateful to have all of the resources that HCRC has to offer, and the support of my posse on the SurviveOars dragon boat team. This September, I will travel to Ravenna, Italy with our team of cancer survivors to compete at the International Dragon Boat Federation World Club Crew Championships. 

Paddler Spotlight: Kit Mitsuoka

KIT MITSUOKA: From Therapy to Inspiration!

Twenty years after her breast cancer diagnosis, Kit Mitsuoka is paddling strong, and inspiring others to experience the power of the dragon…including her granddaughter Kailey!

“Dragon boating is therapy for me,” said Kit. After her breast cancer diagnosis in 2003, Kit had 20 nodes removed; her arm was always sore, to the point she sometimes couldn’t lift a coffee cup. Then in 2008, her neighbor in Morro Bay, Jeanne L’Amoreaux, invited her to paddle with the Central Coast SurviveOars. “Once I started dragon boating, my arm loosened up, and as long as I keep doing it, my arm feels great with no signs of lymphedema!” Kit explained. 

Kit’s therapy blossomed into an international story of inspiration and personal discovery.

Kit has traveled with the Central Coast SurviveOars to dragon boat festivals in the United States and New Zealand. In September 2024, she will compete in Ravenna, Italy at the IDBF Club Crew World Championships! The team qualified for a spot in the All Cancer Paddler (ACP) division by winning gold in the 2,000 meter race at the 2023 IDBF Club Crew National Championships in Sarasota, Florida, with Kit as pacer.

“I don’t usually pace at a race; when Roe (coach Rose Marie Battaglia) told me I was going to pace for the 2000-meter, I couldn’t believe it!” Kit said. But after taking second place in both the 500-meter and 250-meter races, the team was determined to win the Gold. “I paddled so hard,” said Kit, “and after it was over, I was so proud of myself and my team; it was the first time that I felt I really made a difference.”

Kit’s love of dragon boating inspired her granddaughter, Kailey Mitsuoka, to start paddling at age 15; first with the Castaic Dragon Eyes, then the Los Angeles County Dragon Boat Club. Kit and Kailey shared the excitement of racing twice; at the Los Angeles County Dragon Boat Festival in 2021 and the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival in 2022. At the Arizona festival, their teams competed in the same division! Both Kit and Kailey went on to win at the national level with their respective teams; Kailey in 2022 (with Kit cheering her on!) and Kit in 2023.

For Kit, what started out as therapy has been life-changing. “It has been the best sport for me. We raised boys, and I was always ‘following’ their sports, but was a couch potato myself,” Kit jokes. “But with dragon boating, I found my place, and in my 70s, I’m winning races!” 

Many paddlers on the Central Coast SurviveOars team were introduced to dragon boating by Kit. She often volunteers to sit with new paddlers to offer encouragement and gentle advice. When the boats were docked for several months in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic, Kit quietly helped to organize ‘kayak mornings’ and group walks to keep paddlers connected and active. Kit is an inspiration to everyone on the team; and a great dose of ‘therapy’ for all of us.

Kit Mitsuoka and her granddaughter Kailey, ready to race at the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival.

Steers Spotlight: Gary 'Mezz' Messerotes

I came to the SurviveOars team in 2022 to volunteer as a Steersperson, answering a request I saw on the Nextdoor app. As a retired environmental geologist, I moved to the Central Coast in 2016 and enjoy being outdoors and out on the water. Unfortunately, a rotator cuff injury keeps me from paddling on the team.

When I showed up for my first practice to train as a Steersperson, all I could think about was “don’t fall in.” After a session or two, I was hooked. I like watching the tides, weather conditions and wildlife in Morro Bay: ever changing, and adds to the Steer’s challenges!

As a freshman at UCLA, I was on the crew team, and learned the importance of the team working in unison, pulling as one to make the boat move. It’s great to be a part of that again with the SurviveOars! In 2023 I went to my first dragon boat race at Castaic Lake; it was a challenge, but tons of fun!

Steers Mezz and paddler Terry heading for breakfast at the Back Bay Paddle

Paddler Spotlight: Anne Jansen

When we moved to the Central Coast, I definitely wanted to get on the water. I found CCDBA by googling ‘water sport in Morro Bay.’ I signed up for a guest paddle, and knew half-way through the first practice that dragon boating was my sport! The dragon boat community is so lovely, and it was obvious from the start. Learning the sport is not scary; you can do it from the beginning, but you can also keep learning and improving your stroke.

My first race was at Marina Del Rey. It was great to experience the broader dragon boat community and the vitality of the sport. Other teams were high-fiving us as we got off the boat! Kids were competing, and also volunteering as drummers for other teams. I took my six-year-old and she loved it.

Being a part of the Central Coast SurviveOars team has a lot of meaning for me, because both of my parents and others close to me have battled cancer. I also appreciate dragon boat racing’s cultural ties, because of my Chinese heritage. But what I really love are the people; it’s just an amazing community of paddlers!

FOUR PADDLERS TO COMPETE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS--August 2023

CCDBA is proud to announce that FOUR local dragon boat paddlers were selected for Team USA! Team USA will represent our nation at the IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championship August 7-13, 2023, in Pattaya, Thailand.

Rose Marie Battaglia and Becky Adams were selected for the Senior C Women’s team; Dave DeGroot will be paddling with the Senior C Open team; and Belin Tanner was selected for both the Senior B Women’s and Senior B Mixed teams.

The selection process for Team USA is rigorous, involving multiple training camps with several days of intense paddling and fitness testing. Candidates train year-round on dragon boats and outrigger canoes, in addition to twice-a-week ‘off water’ workouts with specific requirements (starting with 150 pushups!) Only 24 dragon boat paddlers from across the nation are selected for each team. To have FOUR Team USA athletes from the Central Coast is a tremendous achievement!

The Team USA paddlers will compete at the World Championships in dragon boat races of 200 meters, 500 meters, 1,000 meters and 2,000 meters in length.

All four Team USA athletes paddle here in Morro Bay with the Central Coast SurviveOars dragon boat team. Congratulations to Rose Marie, Becky, Belin and Dave!! 

Team USA dragon boat paddlers Belin, Rose Marie, Becky and Dave

The SurviveOars dragon boat team is proud of our Team USA paddlers Belin, Rose Marie, Becky and Dave!

Sarasota, Florida--July 2023

A team of male and female cancer survivors medaled in ALL THREE of their race divisions at the Club Crew National Championships in Sarasota, Florida July 21-23. This was the first time the Central Coast SurviveOars entered a mixed team in the national championships, and they ROCKED it! They won silver medals in the 200 and 500-meter races, and GOLD in the 2,000 meter race. The team of 13 earned a berth at the 2024 IDBF Club Crew International Championships in Ravenna, Italy.

The team was determined to win the 2,000, the last race of the event, and they were encouraged by many supporters watching on Livestream. Yes it was hot, yes it was humid, but the SurviveOars surged ahead of the pack! This was an amazing 12 minutes of dragon boat racing to watch.

Congratulations to: Rose Marie Battaglia, Burt Adams, Becky Adams, Donna Jones, Dave DeGroot, Debi Thoreson, Francy Ogden, Kit Mitsuoka, Laurie Lackland, Lynn Watkins, Missy Bullaro, Robin O’Connor and Patrice Sanchez. And, much appreciation to Rotary Club of Morro Bay, for their support through a Community Grant.

Central Coast SurviveOars paddling strong in the 2,000 Meter Race at Club Crew National Championships.

Gold-medal winning dragon boat team, the Central Coast SurviveOars.

New Zealand—April 2023

From all over the globe we came. Destination: Lake Karapiro, New Zealand for the International Breast Cancer Participatory Dragon Boat Festival April 10-16, 2023.

The energy filled the air and we were ready. Ready to race, ready to celebrate. We all had cancer in common, so we didn’t have to say a word. We knew why we were here. To triumph!

The Central Coast SurviveOars put together a team of breast cancer survivor paddlers from all over California. Out of 80 dragon boat teams, the SurviveOars came in 11th overall in the 500-meter races! With strong starts and great timing, they showed their strength in all of the races. (But it must be said that the fiercest competitor at the festival was the wind!) Along with several thousand other paddlers and supporters from around the globe, the SurviveOars danced, sang, bonded, honored those who have paddled onward, and paraded together! It was a winning experience for all.

The fun did not end in New Zealand. At the ‘welcome home’ party, the SurviveOars celebrated with teammates who had watched the races on livestream and sent encouraging texts throughout the event. The paddlers shared a special moment from New Zealand, when thousands of dragon boat paddlers from all over the world sang ‘Sweet Caroline’! The team recreated this moment, with a lot of love (the video is only a little embarassing).

Many thanks to Central Coast SurviveOars team coach Rose Marie Battaglia and team manager Patrice Sanchez!

Paddling My A** Off- February 2023

Boy, did I have a weekend. Think of it. Me in a dragon boat on Morro Bay as it rained, a snow storm having just blown through.

Perhaps you ask, “What in the heck; why was she doing that”? I have a perfectly good explanation. I joined SurviveOars dragon boat team to lend my spirit and support to all women that have battled cancer. Our daughter-in-law had a double mastectomy with all that entails, and she joined a dragon boat organization up in Vancouver. Last summer we saw her paddle in a race on the Willamette River that runs through the city of Portland, OR.

While long in the tooth, and frightfully weak in my upper body, I threw caution to the wind and did it anyway. My Uncle Ralph pumped his bike up a tall hill until he was 85, so I figured I could do things I didn’t think I could do.

The paddling team (never refer to it as rowing...they frown on that), had two women fly down from Portland, OR to our little Morro Bay to do a two-day paddling clinic. As a newbie in the group, I was anxiously hesitant, but I signed up.

Boy was it a work out! We paddled, and paddled, and paddled some more. We were filmed, then we all went back to the Morro Bay Art Gallery and looked at our “strokes ”. It turned out I was not getting my hips into the action so I practiced that for the rest of the two-day clinic.

This is a sprint sport. Boy, does it get my heart racing. After the sprints, we rested in the boat, as sea otters came by to view us!! So fun to see them up close in the water. Then, after a break, another sprint. More instruction. Then another sprint. The second day, more instruction, more sprinting. I felt about 100 years old when we finally docked on Sunday. I suggested to no one in particular that the team needed a crane to lift the half dead bodies out of the boat!!

The team is always looking for more paddlers. If I have failed to scare you off, you might give it a go. It really is fun, invigorating, and nearly impossible to do right as a newbie. Improvement is just around the corner. Practice makes perfect, and with any luck at all, I will develop more muscle through my back, shoulders, and arms.

All ages, all shapes, all sizes enjoy the sport of dragon boat racing. I’m just another one now!!

Go team!! And to all who survived cancer and joined the sport...hats off to all of you!

—Dianna Jackson

Diana Jackson enjoys paddling in Morro Bay!

New Zealand Crew - February 2023

FEBRUARY 4, 2023: the New Zealand- bound paddlers gathered at Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale to practice for the first time as a team. 21 breast cancer survivors are getting ready for the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission (IBCPC) Dragon Boat Festival in New Zealand in April!

Paddlers from the San Diego Dragon Boat Team, NAC, and more traveled to Santa Fe Dam along with the Central Coast SurviveOars to practice. Coach Rose Marie Battaglia arranged the practice with TEAM USA Coach Nathan Salazar, who graciously gave us his time.

Blending the boat is tough when there are paddlers from multiple teams who all have different techniques, but Coach Nathan gave us some basics to think about and helped us work towards that goal.

New Zealand bound paddlers getting ready for their first practice!

Winter nights are here! December 2022.

Tuesday and Thursday night practices during the winter months bring gorgeous sunsets and sparkling lights. The bay is quiet, the water is usually calm, and the lights along the shore reflect on the water as the dragon boat glides by. Thursday night practices are 4:30 to 5:30; Tuesday night practices are 5:30 to 6:30. Come join us! Pre-register as a guest paddler (click on Paddle With Us/How to get Started.)

Janet Jacquier wins on TV Game Show 'Press Your Luck'! - August 2022

Team SurviveOars paddler Janet Jacquier won BIG on the TV game show ‘Press Your Luck’! She won cash and prizes valued at $234,339, including a NEW DRAGON BOAT! Janet’s winning episode aired on ABC on August 25, 2022, and is available to watch on HULU.

During the interview process, the producers learned about Janet’s interests, including her love of dragon boat racing! When she made it to the bonus round, the ‘prize board’ contained prizes that were unique to Janet, including a new dragon boat and a family vacation to Italy/Tunisia to honor her grandfather who was stationed there during World War II. She pressed her luck, avoided ‘the Whammy’, and won BOTH of those special prizes, plus a lot more. Janet enthusiastically busted out some ‘paddling’ moves to celebrate winning the boat! Janet’s mom Cynthia and sister Allie cheered her on.

Janet had to keep the results of the show a secret between the taping in May and the airing on August 25. Since CCDBA bought two new dragon boats in May, and our dock storage is full, the boat could not come to Morro Bay. As luck would have it, Nathan Salazar of the Los Angeles Dragon Boat Club is building a strong youth dragon boating program in Southern California, and they were thrilled to have the boat to practice for the World Championships next year! Janet is excited to donate the boat to a team of young paddlers, the future of dragon boating.

Congratulations paddler Janet!

Los Angeles Camp and Race - October 2021

What an amazing time we had at the 2021 Los Angeles camp and race with Nathan Salazar, one of the Team USA coaches!! I am continually touched, grateful, amazed to be part of this group and what we do. There was so much excitement and enthusiasm this weekend and it was really amazing to be part of it all! We learned new things, met new friends, and pushed out of our comfort zone – good for us!! The comaraderie I felt is always such a wonderful part of attending a paddling event and I want to thank each of you for being part of it and our team.—Carol Ann

Saying Good-Bye to Our Dear Friend, Rita Anderson- July 2020

Dear SurviveOars Group,
I found a group of email addresses and find the need to inform all of you.

Our mother Rita Anderson had not paddled with you for the last few years.

Your group changed her life.  She had great joy paddling, meeting all of you, and forming very special friendships.  Our father Bud loved waiving to you from the shore.  He was certainly one of your best cheerleaders.

Rita passed away on Thursday July 23rd a little after noon.  She had just finished a month in a care facility where she worked hard to get out of.  At the facility no visitors had been allowed because of the Corona Virus.
She went to sister Mollie’s home where she spent her last week.  Mom had gotten weak and had a beautiful departure.  On her last day she lay comfortably and said goodbye.

My Brother Rodger, Sister Mollie, and I wish to thank all of you for providing and welcoming our mother into your SurviveOars paddle group.

Our thanks to all of you,

Warm regards,

Much Aloha,

Jeff Anderson