IN THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL OF MISSION BAY.

PURPLE JERSEYS SET MY TEAM APART FROM OTHERS READY TO RACE.

OUR 40-FOOT LONG AND NEARLY 400-POUND BOAT IS HAND CARRIED

IN INTO THE BRISK WATER FOR OUR 500-METER RACE.

>> IT'S ON THESE COOL BOATS THAT ARE VERY CUTE.

THERE ARE 20 IN A BOAT. YOU WORK AS A TEAM.

YOU ALL FACE FORWARD. WE CALL IT PADDLING.

>> A PAT ON THE HEAD SHOULD BRING US LUCK SAYS AN ANCIENT

CHINESE TRADITION THAT STARTED WITH THE FIRST DRAGON BOAT RACE

MORE THAN 2000 YEARS AGO. TODAY 50 MILLION PEOPLE

WORLDWIDE ARE DRAGON BOAT RACERS.

MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TEAM SPORTS IN THE

WORLD. SECOND ONLY TO SOCCER.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE HELD EVERY TWO YEARS.

>> ONE, TWO, THREE! >> BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN

ATHLETE TO PADDLE WITH US. THE ONLY REQUIREMENT TO BE ON

TEAM SURVIVOR IS TO HAVE CANCER. I THINK SO I WAS BREAST FEEDING

MY FIRST DAUGHTER. AT ABOUT 3 MONTHS DISCOVERED --

IN 0 S POST DELIVERY I DISCOVERED A LUMP.

>> I HAD LYMPHOMA, NON HODGKINS LYMPHOMA IN MY THROAT

>> TWO, THREE, FOUR! >> I JOINED AFTER MY LAST

TREATMENT FOR STAGE THREE BREAST CANCER.

TEAM SURVIVOR SAN DIEGO IS AMONG 50 INTERNATIONAL SURVIVOR DRAGON

BOAT TEAMS. >> I FOUND OUT ABOUT DRAGON

BOATING. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT, UNTIL MY

DAD SENT ME A CLIPPING FROM A NEWSPAPER IN IRELAND.

>> IT'S JUST A REFLECTION OF WHAT THE WOMEN HAVE BEEN THROUGH

TOGETHER TO GET THERE. >> DR. McDONALD STARTED THE

FIRST DRAGON BOAT SURVIVAL TEAM IN 1986 AFTER HE FOUND A STUDY

SHOWING PADDLING SPEEDS RECOVERY IN WOMEN WITH MASTECTOMIES.

NOW VIGOROUS EXERCISE IS A STANDARD RECOMMENDATION FOR ALL

RECOVERING CANCER PATIENTS. >> LET IT RUN! NICE JOB, YOU

GUYS. >> WE CAME IN THIRD TODAY WE

STILL CELEBRATE BEING IN THE SAME BOAT OF LIFE AS A TEAM OF

SURVIVORS. >> WE ARE PUSHING THROUGH THIS.

NOTHING WE CAN'T DO. NOTHING WE CAN'T DO.

>> UNLESS PEOPLE WALK IN YOUR SHOES CAN TRULY FEEL THIS.

>> IT'S TO SHOW US WE CAN RECOVER AND BE STRONG.

PEOPLE ARE STRONG WITH YOU. >> TEAM SURVIVOR!