For Lakewood neighbor Taffie Lynn Butters, a breast cancer diagnosis was more than a turning point - it became the catalyst for a whole new way of life. Instead of slowing down, she discovered strength, community, and unexpected joy through the ancient sport of dragon boating.

Dragon boating, which dates back over 2,000 years in China, has become an empowering outlet for breast cancer survivors across the globe. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Don Mackenzie, a Canadian physician, proved that the vigorous, repetitive paddling motion could actually help prevent or relieve lymphedema, a common complication after breast cancer surgery. From there, breast cancer survivor dragon boat teams formed worldwide, creating a movement that blends fitness, camaraderie, and healing.

For Taffie, her introduction to the sport was almost by chance. “I was walking around White Rock Lake one day and saw a sign for breast cancer paddling,” she recalls. “I wasn’t interested in sitting in a support group - I wanted to do something. The idea of being active, of competing, really spoke to me.”

What began as a curiosity quickly grew into a passion. Taffie joined the Dallas United Crew (DUC) Pink team at White Rock Lake, and later the DUC Delites, a competitive coed team. “I love the physical challenge, but I also love that dragon boating is for everyone. On our team we have women in their 30s all the way up to women in their 80s,” she says.

Her commitment and determination soon led her to something extraordinary: a spot on the inaugural Team USA Breast Cancer Division. Out of nearly 100 women who tried out nationwide, only 36 paddlers were chosen. Taffie was one of them, the only Dallas resident on the team. “It was an intense process with time trials on rowing machines and outrigger canoes,” she explains. “It pushed me to train harder than I ever imagined.”

This past summer, she competed in the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Brandenburg, Germany. Racing against teams from Canada, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand, Taffie and her teammates brought home multiple medals, including silver in the grueling 2,000-meter event. “We were separated from gold by less than half a second,” she says proudly.

Beyond competition, dragon boating has been part of Taffie’s broader journey toward health. After her diagnosis, she became a board-certified health and wellness coach, immersing herself in integrative and functional medicine. “Halfway through chemo, I realized no one was teaching me how to actually be healthy. That’s when I decided to take control, shift my mindset, and create health in my body,” she says. “I can honestly say I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been.”

For Taffie, the real message is about possibility. “Cancer doesn’t have to define you,” she says. “For me, it was the doorway to discovering strength I didn’t know I had. I want people to see that there is life after breast cancer - full, active, joyful life.”

Whether she’s on the lake with her Dallas teammates or representing Team USA on the world stage, Taffie Lynn Butters is living proof that healing can take many forms, and sometimes, it looks like 20 paddlers moving in perfect rhythm toward the finish line.