A woman who set up a dragon boat team after undergoing treatment for breast cancer said the sport had helped her to forget about the gruelling reality of the disease.
Ann Johnson, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, is the founder of Manchester Dragoneers which was created in 2012 to help women navigate life after cancer.
“After diagnosis, after treatment, you feel like you have been thrown off the edge of a cliff,” said the 69-year-old.
“The traditional support groups are all in church halls [where you are] sat round and talking about breast cancer.
“I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to be outdoors and be doing something different.”
Ann had initially joined a breast cancer dragon boat team in Windermere in Cumbria before setting up the group closer to home.
“It’s just so unique that you can get out on the water and forget about the clinics, the consultants and the doctors and your diagnosis really,” she said.
“We don’t focus on breast cancer, we focus on life.”