Dragons Abreast Central Coast

23/12/2025

We’re sharing a wonderful opportunity for women after breast cancer - ENCORE Breast Cancer Wellness Program is a FREE 8-week exercise & wellness program hosted by YWCA Hunter Region, designed to gently support recovery through movement, connection and care — in a safe, small-group environment.

Program locations & dates:

• Valentine
🗓 Tuesdays | 3 February – 24 March 2026
📍 Valentine Scout Hall & Valentine Hydrotherapy Pool

• Maitland
🗓 Thursdays | 5 February – 26 March 2026
📍 Maitland Aquatic Centre

• Singleton
🗓 Tuesdays | 28 April – 16 June 2026
📍 Singleton Gym & Swim

• West Wallsend
🗓 Dates TBC (waitlist open)

• Newcastle
🗓 Waitlist only

📝 Enrolment is essential and requires medical clearance from your GP or specialist.

🔗 Full details & registration:
https://www.ywcahunterregion.org.au/encore

Discover YWCA Hunter Region's free wellness programs, including Encore for breast cancer recovery, designed to support health, confidence, and community connection.

22/12/2025

🐉 Curious about trying dragon boat paddling? We’ve made it easier! 🚣‍♀️

If you’ve been thinking about paddling with Dragons Abreast Central Coast, we’ve just streamlined our sign-up process to make it simpler for new paddlers to get started.

🐉 One simple online registration before your first paddle
🐉 FREE 28-day Dragon Pass trial
🐉 Coaching, paddle & life jacket all provided

We’ve also updated our New Paddler Information Sheet, which is attached to this post and walks you through:
*Where we paddle
*What to wear & bring
*What happens after your free trial
*How to get started (step-by-step, no fuss)

💻 Register for your Dragon Pass here:
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/dragonsaa/registration/
📍 Toukley
📅 Weekly paddling training sessions on Friday's 5pm
💜 Breast cancer survivors & supporters welcome 🚣‍♀️🐉

17/12/2025

🐉🎄 The dragon’s in festive mode — the paddles are ready 🎄🐉🚣‍♀️

We’re paddling this Friday at 5pm, then every Friday throughout January.

If a New Year’s resolution has been forming — move more, try something new, join a supportive crew — January is a great time to follow the dragon onto the water.

💗 Dragons Abreast Central Coast is dragon boating for breast cancer survivors and supporters.
No experience needed. Coaching and equipment provided.

📍 20 Peel Street, Toukley
🕔 Fridays, 5:00pm

If your New Year’s resolution includes doing something for yourself, this might be it.

📩 Message us or comment below to come along
📧 coastbustersda@outlook.com
📞 0434 472 745

Come & try a free paddle.
2026 starts on the water. 🌊🐉

15/12/2025

BCS strength on the water! 🐉🎄

A great clip from the BCS race at the DBNSW Christmas Regatta in Penrith — five teams, all Breast Cancer Survivors, all bringing the power.

Proud to see Dragons Abreast Australia (DAA) crews out there racing strong and festive with Ann Holland, Anne Owen & Janice Kennedy representing our Dragons Abreast Central Coast team

14/12/2025

In China, racing boats that look like dragons have been around for thousands of years, but the sport has become more popular worldwide in recent years.

Beth Rowan is a member of Paddles with a Purpose - Austin's Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Team , Austin’s first dragon boat team made up entirely of breast cancer survivors.

Rowan says she took up the sport as a form of physical therapy, but didn’t anticipate how much the sport and her teammates would come to mean to her.

Video: Patricia Lim ()

Listen to “This Is My Thing” with host Michael Lee wherever you get your podcasts. The show explores the ways we find and bring joy into our lives, like dragon boat racing.

14/12/2025

Sunday miles, shared purpose 💙🐉

A cracking Sunday morning for Dragons Abreast Central Coast on Lake Budgewoi, training alongside the Central Coast Dragon Boat Club CCDBC.

Calm water, cool conditions, and a solid focus on long endurance paddles as we build towards the Beiloon 8km Challenge. This session was all about settling into rhythm, holding form over distance, and working as one crew, led by Emu & Sue — exactly what’s needed for the kilometres ahead.

Our Dragons Abreast Central Coast paddlers join the CCDBC each Sunday morning at 7:30am for this extra training session, on top of our regular DACC solo Friday 5pm practice. They lead the session, we slot in, and together it becomes a strong, purposeful paddle with a shared goal.

Two clubs. One lake. One focus.
Plenty of grit, teamwork, and a whole lot of kilometres banked.

Paddles Up 💪🚣‍♀️

14/12/2025

13/12/2025

🚣‍♀️ Good luck DACC paddlers! 🚣‍♂️

Sending massive good-luck vibes to our Dragons Abreast Central Coast paddlers racing alongside Dragons Abreast Australia (DAA) crews at the Dragon Boats NSW DBNSW Christmas Regatta🎄🐉
📍 Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith

Special shout-out to Race 3 – Central Coast Dragon Boat Club & Hawkesbury River Dragons - paddle hard, race smart, and enjoy every stroke.

We’re cheering you on from the Coast!
Go DACC! 🐉🚣‍♀️🎄💪🐲🚣‍♀️✨

13/12/2025

08/12/2025

🚣‍♀️ FRIDAY 12th December Dragons Abreast Central Coast TRAINING IS ON! 5PM SHARP! 🚣‍♂️
After weeks of the weather behaving like a moody teenager, we are finally getting back on the water — and we are absolutely gagging for it! 🌊💗🐉

If you’ve been thinking about giving dragon boating a go, or you know someone recovering from breast cancer who keeps saying “one day”… well, Friday is that day. We’ve got seats available and it’s the perfect chance to sneak in a test paddle before Christmas.

✨ New paddlers welcome
✨ No experience needed
✨ Just bring your enthusiasm and we’ll bring the pink magic
Attached is a handy info sheet of all you need to know for your trial paddle.

Send us a message if you want to come along to Toukley — we’d love to have you join the crew! 💪💖🌅

Paddles Up 🐉🛶

07/12/2025

🐉 Huge Congratulations to our amazing DACC Dragon, Janice! 🐉

Please join us in giving a massive round of applause to Janice Kennedy, who has completed her 9km Swim for Breast Cancer Research with National Breast Cancer Foundation — and absolutely smashed her fundraising goal while doing it!

Janice set out to raise $200… and the legend more than doubled it, finishing at $412 (and counting!).

https://fundraise.nbcf.org.au/fundraisers/janicekennedy/swim-for-breast-cancer

Not only did she conquer the kilometres, she did it with that signature Dragon spirit — determination, heart, and a whole lot of pink. 🏊‍♂️

Janice, we’re all so proud of you. Thank you for representing Dragons Abreast Central Coast with such courage and purpose. You’re an inspiration in and out of the boat. 🩷🌊

11/11/2025

🛶 Power of the Paddle 🛶

A powerful watch on how dragon boating for breast cancer survivors started — and how it grew into the worldwide movement we’re all part of today.

Huge thanks to Dr Don Mackenzie and Abreast In A Boat for pioneering this sport for thousands of women globally. 💕🙏

🎥 Documentary (YouTube):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gnbw4DTov9o

📰 Article:
https://bcitnews.com/documentary-power-of-the-paddle/ -program

Power of the Paddle follows the women of Abreast in a Boat, a series of dragon boat teams made up of breast cancer survivors. Through the sport, these women ...