A Remarkable Journey with Dragon Spirit
Story compiled by Michelle Hanton, National Coordinator, Dragons Abreast Australia in collaboration with Joanne Petterson
Most people involved in dragon boat racing are aware of the ‘Pink Ladies’ – the breast cancer dragon boaters that paddle their message of awareness around the globe.
This year, in Australia, we believe that Jenny Petterson, a BCS paddler, has made history, hers is a remarkable story of courage and determination! Jenny Petterson and her sister Joanne are twins.
Jenny on the left, has the pink plait …since she had no hair of her own!
In March 1997 at the age of 35, Jenny (but not Joanne) was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. In November 1999 the cancer was found to have spread to 10 tumours across each of her lungs and a few years later a large tumour was found in her abdomen. She has undergone 3 operations including a mastectomy and removal of all lymph nodes in one arm, 2 six-month courses of chemotherapy; radiotherapy; several types of hormone treatments as well as a wide range of alternative therapies. She has been through the mill.
Jenny & Joanne were introduced to dragon boat a little over 3 years ago and were immediately hooked! They paddle together with both local NSW club Port Hacking and Dragons Abreast Sydney. Indeed they do just about everything together!
In January 2003 Jenny received a disappointing CT Scan and was told to wait 3 months for more scans for a comparison then a decision would be made whether or not she should commence a course of chemotherapy. This scan 3 months later showed a new growth in her abdomen and an increase in the size of the 3 remaining lung tumours.
During this 3-month period Jenny continued to paddle. In March 2003 she competed in the South Pacific Inaugural Breast Cancer Regatta in Auckland as part of the Australian Team, followed by the New Zealand Nationals in Wellington. Jenny then competed with Dragons Abreast in the Nationals in Adelaide in April 2003, whilst her sister Joanne paddle with the NSW State team and won a berth in Team Australia. On returning home Jenny received the news that she would need to undergo intensive chemotherapy and was later advised that she should not go to Shanghai (before the change to Poland because of SARS) for the World Championships for fear of infection.
From May to November 2003, Jenny took part in a clinical trial and the side effects of the chemotherapy meant she was not able to paddle. During this time Joanne was training with the Australian Women’s Team to compete in Poland, which Jenny would loved to have gone to watch but could not travel with such a low immune system. She suffered an infection and was hospitalised for 8 days and was discharged just in time to come out to the airport to farewell the Australian team for Poland.
Jenny came out to each of the 4 time trials the Australian Team had at Penrith and videoed all the races of the teams and got some great footage which was used to analyse the teams’ techniques. Looking back she says she doesn’t know how she was able to manage what she did when she was feeling so unwell.
When Jenny completed her chemotherapy in November 2003 she couldn’t get back into the boat quick enough and paddled in the Australian Masters in Canberra in November 2003. She took the paddling easy in the first 2 months following the chemotherapy while her body was recovering. The post-chemotherapy scan showed that the abdominal tumour has completely gone but the size of the lung tumours had only partially decreased.
Jenny attended a Dragon Boat Training Day on Australia Day this year and since then she has ramped up her training to 6 paddling sessions and 3 weights sessions at the gym each week. Her oncologist told her she can exercise as hard as she wants to now and the latest scan, three months after treatment has shown a significant decrease in the size of the lung tumours. Joanne now has her paddling and gym-buddy back!!
Jenny was back in the stroke seat for Dragons Abreast at Chinese New Year in February. She is feeling so strong now that she trialled for the NSW State Teams to compete at the 2004 Nationals in Perth and was placed 41 out of 60 women and earnt a place in the State Women’s B Team as well as a place in the Mixed Masters Team.
We are all so proud of Jenny, she is an absolute inspiration to us all, in particular the ladies in the Dragons Abreast Teams who can see just how strong, positive and motivated she is after all the setbacks she has had. Only a few months ago it would have been quite unbelievable to imagine she could have come this far in dragon boating after everything she has been through, particularly during last year. Jenny Petterson doesn’t need a medal, she is truly a champion, like every BCS, in every sense of the word but a ‘little bit of tin’ will be icing on the cake!
What a wonderful story of the human spirit striving to overcome the worse that life cam throw at it. Jenny’s story is typical of our BSC paddlers, so when they take a little longer to get to the Marshalling area to load their boats, take a bit more time to race down the course and disembark and maybe put the Regatta time table behind just a little; think of Jenny and all that she and the other BCS paddlers have gone through – just to be on the Start Line. Their Gold Medal is to be there – not the winning, the taking part.
Michelle Hanton and Joanne Petterson – 2003