The AmaBele Belles dragon boat team marked a powerful milestone – 20 years of paddling, resilience, and community.
Based at the V&A Waterfront Marina, the team, made up of breast cancer survivors and their supporters, trains twice a week, using the sport as both physical recovery and emotional healing.
The team shares that the AmaBele Belles story began in 2002, when founder Pam Newby encountered a breast cancer survivor team at an international competition. Inspired by their energy, she brought the idea home, launching Africa’s first breast cancer dragon boat team on April 6, 2006.
Since then, the team has participated in international events, travelling to countries including China, Canada, Spain, and New Zealand. Later this year, ten members are expected to represent South Africa at the International Breast Cancer Participatory Festival in Aix-les-Bains, France, alongside thousands of survivors from around the world.
Speaking to The Capetowner, amaBele Belles member Gafsa Davids shared that joining the team has been a deeply healing process for her.
“It was just after my recovery, I joined just after COVID, in January 2022. Prior to my cancer diagnosis, I also lost my husband to cancer in January 2018. I was then diagnosed in December 2018, so that was quite a blow.
"Joining the Belles gave me a place and a space to find myself again. The physical recovery had been taking place, and then just to be with a community of women who shared my journey meant so much. There were one or two people who had also experienced trauma, like losing their husbands and being diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It felt like landing in a place of safety, and being part of the Belles allowed me to recover in my own space and time," she said.
Ms Davids shares that while she hasn’t been able to travel with the Belles, it is definitely on her bucket list.
“It is all inspiring to see the team prepare for this journey, from getting ready for the exchange with fellow competitors to everything they are taking along.
“Just the thought of being part of a cohort of women from across the world - thousands of women who have gone through the breast cancer journey and have chosen to be active, to be fit, to compete and be competitive is incredibly powerful. It fills me with an immense sense of pride to be able to say that that’s my team going across.”
She shares that she continues to join the team twice a week because she has always loved being in and around water.
“The water itself brings a sense of calm. You sit in the middle of the bay at the Waterfront and look up at Table Mountain, taking in the beautiful expanse in front of you - nothing beats that feeling. It reminds you that we are just a small cog in the bigger picture of life.
She said being on the water has also opened up new opportunities for her.
“I’ve been able to learn and qualify as a helm, which means I can now steer the boat and guide the team - something I never thought I would experience or be part of.
“It’s an incredible form of stress relief, from seeing seals playing around us to watching people stop and admire the team from the bridges. There’s something powerful about seeing women paddling, being strong, and moving in sync. There is no better feeling. It’s part of who I am, it keeps me grounded. It’s my happy space.”
More than a sport, the AmaBele Belles offer a space for healing, strength, and connection. With members ranging from their 30s to 70s, the team continues to welcome new paddlers, especially those navigating life after breast cancer.
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