A BREAST cancer survivor said the disease had “done her a favour” after she qualified to represent Great Britain in dragon boating.

Former St Silas’ Primary School teacher Anne Holt, of Cherry Tree, Blackburn, only took up the sport, which sees 20 paddlers rowing a 40-foot decorated boat to the beat of a drum, after conquering cancer in 2005.

Mrs Holt, 56, said: “I’d never done anything like this before, never anything competitive, but I was introduced to a group called Pool of Life, which is especially for breast cancer sufferers.

“The sport is supposed to help with mobility and help drainage for people who have had their lymph node removed.

“From then I really caught the bug and really enjoyed it.”

Mrs Holt trains with the group in Liverpool, and also takes to the Leeds Liverpool Canal, in Blackburn, in a small boat on her own three times a week.

In 2006, the Pool of Life team scooped silver and bronze medals at the Breast Cancer Survivors World Championships, in Singapore, and Mrs Holt was given the chance to try out for the Great Britain Senior Ladies’ Team.

She said: “I was too scared to do the time trial, and I’ve kicked myself for it ever since.

"But I have a generally positive attitude, and I set my mind on qualifying the next time an opportunity arose.”

Now she has received the news that she was one of 10 fastest right-hand-side paddlers in a recent time trial, and would be part of the over-40s team flying out for the European Championships, in Amsterdam, in August.

She said: “If I hadn’t had breast cancer, I wouldn’t be doing this.

"I’m really thinking that it’s done me a favour, and that I need to make the most of it.

"Jane Tomlinson is my inspiration, and I want the message to be put out that having cancer is the start, not the end.”

Pool of Life is looking for new members. Anyone interested in joining is asked to visit their website - see link below.

dragon boats

Dragon boat racing originated in China over 2,000 years ago. It emerged in modern times as an international sport in Hong Kong in 1976.

Dragon boats vary in length and crew size, from small dragon boats with 10 paddlers, up to massive traditional boats which have upwards of 50 paddlers, plus a drummer and sweep.

The drum beats are considered the “heartbeat” of the dragon boat producing a rhythmic drum beat to indicate the frequency and synchronicity of all the paddlers’ strokes.