December 2018 Limerick Dragons AGM

The following club members were nominated and accepted : Vidette, Brima, Alice , Orla , Caroline, Eithne, Kay and Mairead.

January 2019 Limerick Dragons Committee 

At our First Committee meeting of 2019 the following roles where taken up by the members:

Chairperson: Brima Hayes, Secretary: Vidette Ryan Molyneaux, Treasurers; Eithne Carey & Caroling Deveraux, PRO: Alice O' Farrell, Safety Officers : Orla Kaiser for Aquatics, 

An exciting time lies ahead for the committee and members. We wish all the best in 2019 we look forward to growing, developing our skills and introducing more adults to this fabulous sport of paddling. Here's to living our best!

February 2019 Limerick Dragons Committee

Early in the new year Trish Sutton, a member and one of the Limerick Dragons first trained up helms, set up a FB page for the members, here we share all things related to any of our activities, exercise ideas, event ideas, and lots more. Trish also set a 100km challenge for the month of February, the use of this page was great as we could all share what we were doing and where. 

Limerick Dragons Challenge 2019.

100K Challenge for the Month of February!
Walk it, Jog It, Cycle it, Swim it, Run it!

Trish Sutton was also elected on the committe as safety officer for paddling.

Far left Trish Sutton Safety Officer Limerick Dragons 2019

and Brima Hayes Limerick Dragons Chairperson 2019

 Founding Members of the Limerick Dragons Info March 2017

By Brima Hayes O'Conor, Limerick Dragons Treasurer   March 2017  

My name is Brima Hayes O'Connor and I had Breast Cancer 5 years ago. I have recently joined the Limerick Dragons which is a club for Breast Cancer Survivors their families and friends. I'm loving this venture - 3 Limerick bridge walking twice weekly, aqua aerobics & Nordic Walking with an amazing bunch of powerful women. We are doing this to have a good fitness level for when we launch our Dragon Boat on the River Shannon in the near future.  We are all a wonderful support to each other & really nice friendships are developing. Really buzzing with this healthy outdoor new venture yippeeee!  

       By Caron Tierney Chairperson March 2017

We set up Limerick Dragons as a Dragon Boat, Walking, Nordic Walking and Aqua Fitness group for people who had gone through Breast Cancer and their friends. We realised that having gone through treatment for cancer in particular those who had gone through Chemo and Hormone treatments some would have difficulty doing strenuous exercise. When I finished treatment there were no exercise programs and I felt very isolated and found it too hard to join a gym because of side effects from treatment. We want to be inclusive and so we started with our walking groups to get people started and are starting the Aqua fitness soon after. Our aim is to have a dragon boat on the water this summer so that we can have a full range of healthy pastimes for everyone who wants to join us. We have a great group of Breast Cancer survivors and friends with us at the moment and we have joined the Wild Atlantic Warriors (a group made up of breast cancer survivors from the Donegal to Waterford ) to participate in the world International Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Championships in Florence Italy in July 2018. We have entered the Pink Challenge climb for Croagh Patrick in April 2017 which is a Cancer Awareness challenge. We act as a support to help and encourage each other to get fitter as its hard for those who haven't gone through what we have to understand how hard it is to get fit again. I am so proud of what we have achieved so far in bringing Breast Cancer survivors together to look forward to enjoying life and helping each other.

By Vidette, Limerick Dragons Secretary  March 2017   

 

By Alice O'Farrell, Limerick Dragons PRO   March 2017

The Limerick Dragons are a new support group for breast cancer survivors and friends, A cancer support group, with a difference. It's  made up of breast cancer survivors and friends. We are a water based group, and we hope to be rowing by the summer. 

As you know, we need help with side effects post treatment (joint pain from medication, depression, fear of recurrence, weight gain through menopause with hormone treatments and lethargy etc) 

The group was primarily set up for breast cancer survivors family and friends, but we would be delighted if survivors of other forms of cancer wish to get fit with us and use our support network. Water is known to have a tranquil and soothing effect, we have already begun our walking twice a week along the 3 bridges of limerick Orla Kaiser of Waterzone  is on board with us for Aqua fitness classes.Yvonne Clarke, a volunteer with the MWCF as a reflexologist and reiki practitioner is also part of our group.

We have registered with PPN (Public Participation Network) and with Limerick Sports Partnership and are now starting to fundraise, so we can get a boat in the water soon.

We are part of the Wild Atlantic Warriors which run regattas along the west coast of Ireland and have committed to regattas in Belfast and Donegal this year as well as the world regatta in Florence in July 2018. 

Canadian doctor  Don McKenzie has endorsed this form of excercise, Dragon Paddling as very beneficial to breast cancer survivors as the repetitive nature of rowing has been proven to help with prevention of lymphedema. Also weight control and fitness.

 

 

By Orla Kaiser, Limerick Dragons Helm & Swim Coach/Teacher

 

Late October 2016, I received a call from my cousin Caron who happens to be a Breast Cancer Survivor, she asked if i was interested in joining a group of women who wanted to start paddling in the River Shannon in Limerick City. Little did i know about Dragon Boating, but an exciting challenging time was before me. I met a few women in the snug in Souths Bar, over the winter months and we discussed lots of things and of course got to know each others stories. I am passionate about the water, swimming, using the River Shannon, water sports, (so you see where i'm coming from). 

 Our aim became very clear from the begining: to offer support for Breast Cancer Survivors  family and friends. We have started by setting up a walking group. Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm leaving from Arthurs Quay and going over the 3 bridges in Limerick.  As of September 2017 this continued on the Monday evening. The Walking Group was a success and soon after that we started offering Nordic Walking too. In March 2017, I started offering Aquatic Classes for all ages all abilities, at various venues in Limerick for Breast Cancer Survivors who needed to exercise, develop/learn how to swim. In the New Year (2017) we also started fundraising, and we are nearly ready to order our Dragon Boat, so here comes the third activity for Breast Cancer Survivors…Dragon Boat Paddling. So don’t be surprised if this time next year some friends of yours are mentioning a new hobby and you see them on the River Shannon. Not many will be interested in all of the above, and that’s okay, Breast Cancer Survivors, supporters and friends are welcome to join the walking, the aquatics or the paddling, it’s your choice. If you would like to know more about this group check out our other pages. You’ll be hearing from me soon!

 By Orla Kaiser March 2017

  1 2   3

 1.On the far left is Caron Tierney, mid photo Brima Hayes O'Connor, and far right  Vidette at one of our early meeting November 2016 in Souths.

 2. Again a meeting in November 2016 here is Alice O'Farrell far left, next Orla Kaiser, Catherine Allen and Brima Hayes