Conquering the Dragon: Breast Cancer Survivors Race for Life is a documentary about breast cancer survivors reaching for the stars and creating triumph out of tragedy, never letting up in their determined fight against the dragon.
In their quest to regain their lives, thousands of breast cancer survivors around the world discovered Dragon Boat Racing, a very demanding water sport, requiring mental and physical toughness that has became the ultimate team competition among survivors.
The documentary features team SOS, Save Our Sisters from Miami, Florida as members work hard to prepare for their biggest race ever. The team trains for months and travels to Tampa, Marathon and Tavares for competitions as a warm up for the huge International Dragon Boat Festival for Breast Cancer Survivors in Canada. The excitement grows by the minute as team SOS practices starts, race pace and finish strategies in their 40 feet long, slender dragon boat. Under the command of Coach Harry, the 20 ladies furiously paddle 250, 500 and even 2,000 meter sprints to increase their stamina. They must maintain discipline, follow a rhythmic cadence of long, deep and hard strokes, and use their entire bodies to pull the 4,000 pound dragon boat across the finish line.
The roster has been announced and SOS sisters are ready for the race. The small town of Peterborough is all dressed in pink and greets the more than 2,000 breast cancer paddlers from Canada, England, South Africa, Australia, Italy and the USA.
During two days of racing, the survivors proudly paddle their way to the finish line over the clear waters of Little Lake in Peterborough. Their paddles represent all of the one out of eight women who get diagnosed annually with breast cancer around the world, and the carnations thrown in the water during the flower ceremony will honor those sisters who were too weak to beat the dragon that took their lives.
The compelling stories of these survivors coupled with their struggles to cross the finish line, results in a vivid image of life and survival: What was once the dragon that almost took their lives has morphed into the dragon that saved their souls.