April 17, 2014

At a past festival in San Francisco the Robusters were the only breast survivor team there. There wasn’t a division in the festival that � t their pro� le.

Either the teams were Ama-zonian young women in the ultra-competitive women’s division or the mixed division comprised of 12 men + 8 women on the team.

Still, the Robusters headed out on the course with the same fo-cus that they bring to every fes-tival and were soon impressing spectators and other teams with the precision, positive attitude and ironical team cheer, “Bust or no bust, we are robust!”

Surprisingly, dragon boat rac-ing as a sport for breast cancer survivors has not reached the same levels of participation in

California as other areas.

Few other paddlers at the San

Francisco Festival knew the sto-ry of how Dr. Don MacKenzie of the Sports Medicine Clinic

at UBC recruited a dragon boat team of breast cancer survi-vors to take part in research on breast cancer surgery and upper body exercise.

That made the Robuster’ pres-ence at the festival even more important since one of the team goals is to raise breast cancer awareness and demonstrate the fact that exercise has a role in cancer prevention as well as helping survivors return to good health.

As the festival unfolded it soon became clear that the Ro-busters were inspiring others, as breast cancer survivors from

other teams came to talk to them.

As one young woman who had just � nished her cancer treatment put it, “I watched your races and thought you looked great, just like a pink ribbon on the water. Now I can’t wait to get back home and start working on setting up a survivor team. If you can do it, I can too!”

The Robusters paddling sea-son for 2014 is just getting start-ed and team members would like to invite any interested women to consider paddling with them.

At a past festival in San Francisco the Robusters were the only breast survivor team there. There wasn’t a

Try something newJoin the

ROBUSTERS CREW

The Kootenay Robusters Dragon Boat Team has donated over $50,000 to the KBRH Foundation. We, as much as anyone, know the value of investing in health care in the Kootenays. Our largest fundraiser is the Kootenay Robusters calendar!If you would like to sponsor our calendars call Lorraine at 250-365-6141.

Pictured (left to right) Pat Tjader, Lydia Sorenson, Margaret Green, Jan Mickelwaite, Mary Hatlevik (All members of the Kootenay Robusters) and Lisa Pasin (KBRH Foundation).

For more information call:Joy 250-365-3794

Kathy 250-362-9644Debbie 250-364-0993

Rae 250-442-3333Jeanie 250-447-6169

Inspiration & Donation

The Kootenay Robusters dragon boat team is beginning its 14th season and are inviting you to come and try it. We are recruiting more paddlers for fun, fitness and friendly competition.

We are planning to be on the water by late April and the best news: no experience - with breast cancer or paddling - is necessary.

The West Kootenay crew requires 20 paddlers to race and a minimum of 14 to practice in addition to a steersper-son and drummer.

The team encourages all ages from teenagers to women in their eighties to come and try it out, the only require-ments are a good attitude, the desire to join a great social group with exercise and enjoyment the top priorities.

“We have ladies in their seventies out there doing it, so there’s a whole

bunch of benefits - the health side, the friendships, and the support,” added Debbie LeRose.

Kathy Hanson, a veteran paddler of 12 years, stresses that being a breast cancer survivor is not a requirement to

joining and with an average age of 62, the team races against much younger paddlers so an interjection of youth would be welcome.

“We just want ladies to come and try dragon boating, because once people get out and try it, they realize they can do it... and you can be at any fitness level to start.”

The Robusters dragon boat team originally formed in 2001 as a group of breast cancer sur-vivors and associate paddlers from Trail, Rossland, Grand Forks, Christina Lake and Castlegar. They excelled early , plac-ing second in Kelowna’s Breast Can-cer Challenge after just one month of training.

Since then the team has competed in dozens of dragon boat festivals, cul-minating in a first place result in the Kelowna Festival in 2006 and a trip to the 17th Annual Kaiser Permanente In-ternational Dragon Boat Festival in San Francisco. Most recently the team had a strong fifth place finish at a festival

in Lethbridge in 2013.

But a team’s success is ultimately tied to good coaching. A serendipitous meeting in a Rossland coffee shop landed the Robusters their coach of 13 years and Trish Ostlund.

In the 1990s Ostlund paddled with the world champion False Creek women’s team, and has brought her expertise, knowledge, and enthusiasm to the Robusters ,transforming new and experienced paddlers into a coherent force.

“We just want ladies to come and try dragon boating, because once

people get out and try it, they realize they can do it.”

Kathy HansonKathy Hanson

With the paddling sea-son here, the Kootenay Robusters dragon boat team is stepping up their dry land training sched-ule in order to be ready for their � rst practice on Christina Lake.

During the winter, team members work out in the gym and use the Kayakpro ergonomic trainers (also called the D1) purchased with a grant from Columbia Basin Trust to re� ne tech-nique and build � tness. Thanks to the generosity

of FortisBC, Trail and Rossland paddlers are able to use a spare of� ce in the Fortis building on the Esplanade to house their machine. Castlegar and Grand Forks also have a Kayakpro trainer to practice on.

The Kayakpros are used summer and winter. During the paddling sea-son, if a member is un-able to get to practice at Christina Lake, she can use the trainer to main-tain and improve her � tness and technique.

All women welcome

For more information call Joy 250-365-3794 Kathy 250-362-9644 Debbie 250-364-0993 Rae 250-442-3333 Jeanie 250-447-6169

All women welcome

KOOTENAY ROBUSTERSWant to Try it?

Are we your neighbours?

Trudi ToewsRossland, Associate

13-year paddler

Lorraine Bell-LebedoffCastlegar, survivor11-year paddler

Kathy HansonRossland, associate

12-year paddler

Connie MillerCastlegar, survivor

8-year paddler

Maureen CorradoRossland, survivor

8-year paddler

Mary HatlevikRossland, survivor13-year paddler

Barb CorneliusGrand Forks, associate

11-year paddler

Pat TjaderTrail, survivor5-year paddler

Gail RossRossland, survivor

3-year paddler

Pat BruceTrail, survivor

13-year paddler

Debbie LeRoseTrail, survivor5-year paddler

Rae SalkeldGrand Forks, associate

6-year paddler

Denise MaierCastlegar, survivor

1-year paddler

Jan MickelwaiteRossland, survivor12-year paddler

Patricia LoganGrand Forks, associate

7-year paddler

Jeanie TourcotteChristina Lake, survivor

1-year paddler

Lydia SorensonCastlegar, survivor13-year paddler

Joy AndersonCastlegar, survivor13-year paddler

The Kootenay Robusters would like to thank

HOME GOODS FURNITURE

for donating this space in their � yer






















All women welcome


All women welcome




13-year paddler



12-year paddler


8-year paddler


8-year paddler



11-year paddler



3-year paddler


13-year paddler



6-year paddler


1-year paddler



7-year paddler


1-year paddler



























All women welcome


All women welcome




13-year paddler



12-year paddler


8-year paddler


8-year paddler



11-year paddler



3-year paddler


13-year paddler



6-year paddler


1-year paddler



7-year paddler


1-year paddler



























All women welcome


All women welcome




13-year paddler



12-year paddler


8-year paddler


8-year paddler



11-year paddler



3-year paddler


13-year paddler



6-year paddler


1-year paddler



7-year paddler


1-year paddler



























All women welcome


All women welcome




13-year paddler



12-year paddler


8-year paddler


8-year paddler



11-year paddler



3-year paddler


13-year paddler



6-year paddler


1-year paddler



7-year paddler


1-year paddler



























All women welcome


All women welcome




13-year paddler



12-year paddler


8-year paddler


8-year paddler



11-year paddler



3-year paddler


13-year paddler



6-year paddler


1-year paddler



7-year paddler


1-year paddler






2010 K O O T E N A Y KOOTENA Y

B U S I N E S S BUSINESS

A W AR D S Best of Business

PLA TINUM

2010 K O O T E N A Y KOOTENA Y

B U S I N E S S BUSINESS

A W AR D S Best of Business

GOLD

Located Halfway Between Trail & Castlegar Monday to Saturday 9:30 am to 5:30 pmSunday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

A family business serving Kootenay families since 1950

HOME GOODS FURNITURETel: 693-2227 Genelle 1-877-693-2227www.homegoodsfurniture.com

Come see our new working KitchenAid kitchen designed by JMK Kitchens

KitchenAid kitchen

FurnitureAppliances

Home Goods has received 2 Best of Business Awards every year for the last 10 years!

Big Bob’s business year-end is April 30th and if Big Bob don’t sell this here

inventory, Big Bob’s gotta count it... and Big Bob don’t count so good.

So ya’ll git on out here and shop till ya drop!!

This here round-up sale is on today... and tomorrow... and each and every doggone day till the end of this here month!

That’s April 30th for you city slickers.

Big Bob’s business year-end is

Cowboy Bob’s Round-Up Sale

$1,500,000Liquidation

ALL SOFAS & LOVE SEATS .....................................25% - 70% OFF REG.

ALL DINING ROOM SETS ....................................... 25% - 60% OFF REG.

ALL BEDROOM FURNITURE .................................25% - 70% OFF REG.

ALL HOME DECOR ITEMS .................................................... 25% OFF REG.

ALL ACCENT FURNITURE ......................................25% - 70% OFF REG.

ALL MATTRESSES ....................................................40% - 60% OFF REG.

ALL COFFEE & END TABLES .................................25% - 70% OFF REG.

ALL LA-Z-BOY RECLINERS .....................................25% - 70% OFF REG.

ALL HOME OFFICE FURNITURE .......................................60% OFF REG.

ALL TV STANDS ......................................................... 25% - 70% OFF REG.

Documents

April 17, 2014