The official IBCPC Festival website is https://ibcpcfrance2026.com/ and the livestream link for viewing races is https://live.ibcpcfrance2026.com.
22 of of our member plus our coach will travel to Aix-Les-Bains, France in the coming days to represent Peterborough and surrounding area at the International Breast Cancer Paddling Commission (IBCPC) Participatory Dragon Boat Festival for and unforgettable celebration of sport, friendship, and hope.
The International dragon boat races for breast cancer survivors occur every four years. Survivors Abreast hosted the event in Peterborough, in 2010 and has since attended Sarasota, Florida (2014), Florence, Italy (2018), and Waikato, New Zealand (2023).
The France festival will host 4500 breast cancer survivors paddling on 170 teams, representing 37 countries, making the 2026 IBCPC France festival the largest ever held.
The parade of nations and opening ceremonies take place on August 27th, followed by two full days of races (3 x 500m & 3 x 200m), as well as the Sandy Smith Global Finale race, a special flower ceremony and closing ceremonies on August 29th.
With the assistance of our dedicated coach, who tells us “Strength is not in one paddle alone, but in every heartbeat moving forward”, the team has been working hard to improve technique, endurance and paddling as one.
Technique matters, as does community support. We extends our gratitude to those who have supported our fundraising efforts through fashion shows, golf tournaments, yard sales and the collection of wine corks.
With several newbies attending their first International event, along with the veterans on the team, Survivors Abreast looks forward to and is proud to stand among thousands of others who understand our experience intimately, as we share laughter, tears, wonder, and challenging races, and foster friendships and lifelong memories while representing Peterborough and area at this global event.
The official IBCPC Festival website is https://ibcpcfrance2026.com/ and the livestream link for viewing races is https://live.ibcpcfrance2026.com.
Survivors Abreast is team #46.
