WORLD CONFERENCE ON BREAST CANCER

The program is diverse and jam packed. There are 550 delgates from 32 countries represented - which is a fabulous mix.

Today was the first full day - and being here has brought back to me what a great movement the breast cancer survivor groups are. We have collectively managed to make so many contacts globally - and certainly Dragons Abreast has been a wonderful vehicle for this within Australia.

I would like to urge all of you who are interested in the bigger picture - beyond the paddling - to consider attending conferences. The next international one - Reach for Recovery - is being held in Australia - in Brisbane next May. There is a link on our home page http://www.dragonsabreast.com.au/ - so go visit and think about registering!

Another aspect of conferences is the fun of meeting up with some of the old faces - and the women that I have been priveledged to share a dragon boat with over the years. Many of us wear many hats - and have our beginning and roots as breast cancer advocates.

My presentation was today and the attendees were diverse - some who were paddlers and many who were not. There were people there from Kenya and First Nation (Canadians) who wanted to learn more about the model, about how we, as Dragons Abreast in Australia, have achieved what we have over the last 10 years. Not because they want to paddle in dragon boats but because our model has worked. Dragons Abreast Australia members can all be mightily proud of themselves - as it has been a collective effort.

I had good discussions with a surgeon from Uganda as well as a doctor from Cuba and listened to a wonderful speaker - Annie Sasco from France who discussed her goals for establishing Centres for Environmental Onclogy - fascinating stuff and so interesting to learn more of what is happening in the world.

It was a real priviledge to be able to meet and share with all these wonderful people.

The common thread throughout this is the fact that it is indeed a small world, and we are all united in the fight against breast cancer. The epidemic is global and the solutions must be worked on globally.

It's also very exhausting (but exhilerating!) having the brain switched on all day long :)
Michelle