Taffie Lynn Butters in her official Team USA gear
When Team USA heads to Brandenburg, Germany for the International Dragon Boat Federation world championships in July, Taffie Lynn Butters will be on the front lines. Butters and her teammates comprise the first breast cancer survivor team ever included in the event. Win or lose, they’ll be making history.
Butters is relatively new to the sport. She jumped in following her cancer discovery in 2020.
“After my diagnosis, everything changed for me,” she says. “It set me on a new path to pursue health in all aspects of my life.”
Butters admits becoming a world-class athlete wasn’t always on her Bingo card.
“I have always been active, but not necessarily athletic,” she explains. “As a child I played basketball and softball. I have always loved being outdoors and in the water. After my breast cancer diagnosis, I turned to lifestyle medicine after my traditional treatment. I knew there had to be something more, and the diagnosis was the best thing that ever happened to me. It changed the trajectory of my life and mindset. It allowed me to take back control of my health and happiness.”
Butters says she initially found Dragon boating by accident.
“I was walking around White Rock Lake and saw a banner on the side of the boathouse for a breast cancer team. I had never heard of the sport, but it was three years after my diagnosis, and I was ready for a new challenge. What I didn’t know was that it came with a group of women who all share a common thing — it brought us together, but it was not defining us.”
Dragon boating was identified as an ideal sport for breast cancer survivors in 1996 by Dr. Don McKenzie, an exercise physiologist and professor of sports medicine at the University of British Columbia. He challenged the prevailing medical thinking that women undergoing such treatment couldn’t handle rigorous upper body exercise for fear of lymphedema, the fluid buildup which causes swollen tissues. It turns out Dr. McKenzie was onto something.
“Women need to know there is an active, prosperous life waiting for them — even after a diagnosis,” stresses Butters. “It’s a lifetime of caring for your body and your health. I have made it a lifestyle, and I am in the best shape and feel the best I have in my entire life.”
Butters says there are two sides to Dragon boating which appeal to her — the camaraderie of being part of a team where members have been through similar challenges, and the experience of setting tough goals and achieving them together.
“I was sort of a natural and liked the challenging aspect of refining the stroke. It’s paddling, not rowing,” she says. “The thrill is being in unison with all 20 paddlers and the beat of the drum and the surge of the boat. There is nothing like laying it all out on the water and crossing the finish line.”
Training isn’t easy. Butters works out at White Rock Lake with her local breast cancer team, Dallas United Crew Pink, and with Dallas United Crew Delite, which is a competitive team. She also trains with the Lone Star Dragons, her state team. Almost 100 hopefuls from around the nation tried out for Team USA Breast Cancer Paddler Division. Four are from Texas, and only Butters is from Dallas. She uses outrigger canoes, ergonomic machines, yoga and other methods to get mentally and physcally stronger, and her motto is: Whatever you do, do not stop.
“This is the first time in history that Team USA extended a try out opportunity to a specialty breast cancer team,” she says. “I started training six days a week, doing things I had never done before to cross train. I focused on my strength, endurance and mindset, and I traveled to a boot camp of sorts for time trials. I traveled again a couple of weeks ago and time trialed again. I felt strong and confident in the work that I had put in, and I am happy to report that it all paid off.”
“CONGRATULATIONS to Taffie Lynn Butters for identifying a goal, working tirelessly to achieve it, travelling to compete against women from all over the country, performing in two different time trials in two different parts of the country, and KICKING BUTT!!!!,” shared Dallas United Crew on Instagram. “Three cheers to you, Taffie, for getting it done!!!! Congrats and Paddles Up!”
Dragon boating has a rich history rooted in ancient Chinese traditions and is rapidly growing in popularity across America and around the world. Participants use paddles to propel a long, narrow boat through the water. Success depends on teamwork and synchronization, so a drummer keeps the paddlers in perfect rhythm while a steerer guides the boat. Paddling builds upper body strength, core stability and cardiovascular endurance.
Butters says she’s been encouraged by neighbors and community members familiar with her breast cancer recovery journey and her plans to compete in Germany.
“I am beyond excited, and I am thankful for all of the love and support so many of you have provided along the way,” she says. “I have learned that I am capable of more. I am strong. I am dedicated. And I do not give up. Everyone has this in them. The trick is to tap into it and believe it’s possible.”
The IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships will be held July 14-20.
Courtesy of Memphis Dragon Boat Festival
