About this episode

Kathy Myers shares her journey as a long-term breast cancer survivor and how she found community through dragon boat racing.

In this episode of the Interlude podcast, I speak with Kathy Myers, a long-term breast cancer survivor whose story takes us from a surprise diagnosis to a powerful, community-centered life after treatment. We recorded this conversation on Kathy’s 67th birthday, which was really meaningful. Kathy was diagnosed back in 2002 when her doctor felt a small breast lump just shortly after a normal mammogram. She was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer and went through treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. She initially joined a poetry group but then discovered dragon boating. Dragon boat racing is a high-energy water sport originating in ancient China. Teams of up to 20 paddlers move in unison to a drummer’s beat, in long boats decorated with dragon heads and tails. Through dragon boat racing, she found community and her team Hope Afloat USA (based out of Pennsylvania, on the Schuylkill River) is made up of breast cancer survivors and thrivers. Kathy talks about how transformative dragon boat racing has been for her over the last two decades and reflects on the complex emotions of survivorship: navigating family and caregivers’ coping styles, ending a toxic marriage…

Topics covered

• breast cancer
• survivorship
• community
• dragon boat racing
• health
• fitness

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