chestmates kingston to carry city flag in parade of breast-cancer survivors in france, before racing to win
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members of chestmates kingston unfurl the city flag that they'll carry at the international brteast cancer survivor participatory festival in france later this month. two dozen members will compete in dragonboat races on lac bourget. the paddlers train twice a week at the collins bay marina and are promoting the quadrennial event before a training session in kingston on monday, aug. 10, 2026. (photo by gare joyce/kingston whig-standard)
jane kitchen took a leisurely sight-seeing boat tour on a vacation in france just a couple of months ago, but she is prepared for a high-paced trip on the water when she returns to the country in two weeks.
kitchen, a retired history teacher in her 80s, will be paddling hard along with her friends on the chestmates kingston dragonboat team.
“it’s something that we’ve been training for twice a week this summer, but we’ve been looking forward to it for a long time,” kitchen said when the team gathered for a workout at the collins bay marina monday evening.
chestmates kingston is a group of local breast-cancer survivors and kitchen, who was first diagnosed more than three decades ago, will be the ranking member by seniority on the dragonboat team that will be competing on lac bourget, a glacier lake in french alps.
dragonboat racing is part of the international breast cancer survivor participatory festival that will run from aug. 24 to the end of the month. the quadrennial event will draw 4,500 breast-cancer survivors from 37 countries.
“there’s a great bond between the women who are members,” kitchen said. “we support one another across the generations. we all have stories that we share with each other … different stories perhaps, but common themes as survivors. this is a chance to celebrate, and we see that there are so many women around the world who have survived.”
as one of two founding members still in the chestmates fold, kitchen has seen not only the advancement of treatment elevating survival rates, but also an evolution in attitudes in society about the disease. what was once stigma is now better understood and not only a subject of acceptable conversation, but necessary for awareness.
“even in the early 90s cancer was a word that people tried to avoid saying,” kitchen said. “chestmates and other groups like ours gives women a network of understanding and support.”
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according to member linda jackson, chestmates kingston’s membership would easily provide numbers to fill the seats on multiple boats, but the organization hit a hard cap in the run-up.
“we have about 40 active paddlers for our two boats, and 22 will be going to france, along with two coaches,” jackson said. ”it’s unfortunate not everybody will be be making the trip—there was a limit when we started organizing it three years ago. i feel bad about leaving some of the girls behind, but they do understand and have been supportive of our fund-raising. there are international trips every four years and those who aren’t going this year will be at the front of the line.”
the members gathered monday evening at the collins bay marian to pose for photos with the kingston flag they’ll unfurl in france this month.
“we’ll be representing kingston,” said kitchen, while donning her life jacket to load into a dragonboat named courage. “we’ll also be representing those who can’t make the trip or will make the trip next time and the time after.”
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