22 women.
22 stories of breast cancer.
One dragon boat.
GoAnna welcomes you aboard.
In 1999, Anna Wellings-Booth OAM founded Dragons Abreast Canberra, Australia's second - and now longest-running - breast cancer survivor dragon boat team, known fondly as GoAnna. In 2024, the team celebrated 25 years of paddling. Connecting. Moving. Living.
A Blink in Time celebrates our stories.
* print book AUD $35.00 + postage and handling
* e-book AUD $9.99
About the Book
A Blink in Time: Tales from GoAnna is a collection of stories from 22 members of Dragons Abreast Cancer about their experiences during and after breast cancer. Initially, there was concern that all the stories would 'sound the same' but nothing could be further from the truth. Every woman has a story to tell and a unique take on their experience.
The stories are woven together with a narrative that takes the reader out for a training session with the team. You'll get to see the highs and lows of training, along with the laughs and poignant moment that makes our team unique. Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to come and give dragon boating a go one day.
Meet the Crew
Kellie Nissen - editor
Kellie Nissen is an author coach, editor and writing mentor who believes that everyone has a story to tell - and has the right to tell it. Her passion lies in bringing personal stories to life through memoir, narrative non-fiction and auto-fiction.
Kellie has been paddling since 2016 and joined Dragons Abreast Canberra in 2018 when she was told she could still grab a seat in the boat in Florence, Italy. She loves the whole body fitness aspect of dragon boating, but has zero desire to sit on the drum seat or stand up the back with the sweep oar.
Jenny Milward-Bason
A supporter member for her sister, Lyndall, Jenny is a paddler, drummer and one of our coaches. Her first paddle with the club was 'on a cold and miserable May morning in 2017'.
Clare Purcell
Clare joined Dragons Abreast Canberra in 2013 after paddling with another local club. Her favourite position in the boat is right at the front, in the strokes' bench. During her breast cancer treatment, Clare never considered herself to be sick - it was just another chapter in her book.
Elly McGinness
When Elly is not off on a cruise, you will probably find her in the strokes' bench out on the water. She celebrated the end of chemo treatment by 'doing silly things' like para-gliding, ziplining and heading out on the rapids in a jet boat. Elly has been paddling with Dragons Abreast Canberra since 2012.
Megan Davis
An ex-intensive care paramedic, Megan started dragon boating in 2019, not long after completing breast cancer treatment. Her son, not fond of the word 'cancer' decided they would call it 'cactus' - and the name stuck.
Anne Baynes
A paddler with Dragons Abreast Canberra since 2011, Anne is happy anywhere in the boat but maintains that 'stroking gets the best views'. She grabs every opportunity on offer and has paddled internationally as well as in 'The Ord' - a nearly 60 km paddle journey.
Kathy Hayes
A regular 'energiser bunny', Kathy loves competition and keeps us all motivated, especially when she's up in the drummer's seat. She's been paddling since 2017 and refuses to let cancer define who she is.
April Weiss
April embraced paddling life from the day she joined Dragons Abreast Canberra in 2021, so much so that she received our Rookie of the Year Award in 2022. Visualising 'Sealy the seal' got April through her radiation treatment where she had to hold her breath for long periods of time.
Joan White
Joan joined Dragons Abreast Canberra in 2015 at the age of 69. Her mindset and outlook on life ('I never said I had cancer because I never felt I did') is what sets her apart. Although she no longer paddles, Joan is still an active volunteer and non-paddling support member.
Amanda Ferris
Exercise and routine kept Amanda going throughout her breast cancer treatment and she hasn't stopped pushing herself since joining Dragons Abreast Canberra in 2017, and representing the ACT since 2024. She cites her favourite moments as early winter mornings, sitting on the boat in the middle of the lake.
Marion Leiba
One of our foundation members, Marion started paddling in 2000, while she was still in the middle of treatment. Known for her delightful poetry recitations while we are out on the water, Marion's practical and down-to-earth outlook on life keeps her, and those around her, positive.
Nadine Leiba
A supporter member for her mum, Marion, Nadine joined Dragons Abreast Canberra in 2000 and went straight into an interstate regatta in Penrith. She takes her supporter role seriously, believing that it's 'as much about being there emotionally for the person as it is about advocating for them'.
Denise Brown
A paddler since 2013, Denise loves nothing more than going away with the team - whether it's just up the road to Sydney or all the way to Aix-les-Bains in France to paddle alongside several thousand breast cancer survivors from all over the world. The added bonus is, of course, the shopping ...
Katherine Davis Kralikas
Katherine has loved dragon boating since the first time she set foot in the boat in 2001. Known and loved for her positivity, Katherine has always taken it upon herself to 'lighten the mood' and open up the conversation. While she doesn't live in Canberra anymore, Katherine is still very much part of the team.
Janet Olsen
Janet views her breast cancer experience as a 'bit of a detour'. She's paddled with Dragons Abreast Canberra since 2017 and maintains that her favourite position in the boat is anywhere you can sit down (i.e. not 'sweeping'). If you can't find Janet in the boat, you can guarantee she'll be off travelling again - somewhere.
Deb Lopert
Deb started paddling in 2018 and is happy to sit anywhere in the boat, except the strokes' bench. She has this quiet, 'just-get-it-done' attitude, which ensures she never dwells on things that 'might have been', preferring to see life as full of sliding door moments.
Anita
A paddler with Dragons Abreast Canberra since 2015, Anita maintains that the best thing about our team is the friendships. She prefers the front of the boat 'for a good view' and may or may not have been disappointed that we didn't come across any crocodiles (her favourite animal) while we paddled nearly 60 km down The Ord River in 2024.
Sugar Masangcay
Sugar brings a sparkle of joy into the boat every time she paddles. She joined the team in 2020, our youngest member at the age of 38, and cites her most memorable moment so far as 'competing in my first 2 km race without stopping'.
Natalie
Nat joined Dragons Abreast Canberra in 2017 and has never looked back - even when the sweep oar swept her off the boat and into the water when she was learning how to sweep. Nat's all about loving life and living it the way she wants to live it - no matter what.
Joanne Widdup
Joanne started paddling in 2021 at the age of 72, receiving her 'first ever sporting trophy' the following year. Her zest for life and love of song keeps us all going during particularly taxing training sessions, with her 'take me or leave me' attitude providing inspiration to us all.
Che Mortimer
Paddler, stroke and (newly qualified) sweep, Che has always been willing to give it her all since joining Dragons Abreast Canberra in 2018. She firmly believes that, in life, you have to be your own advocate and you have to push yourself - because nobody else will.
Gillian Horton
Full disclosure ... Gillian has never set foot in a dragon boat and has no intention of doing so, but she is all about supporting women with breast cancer, having been through it herself in 2008. Gillian is the owner of Colleen's Lingerie and Swimwear in Canberra and is a wonderful supporter for Dragon's Abreast Canberra. Plus - her story is funny!
Lyndall Milward-Bason
A member of Dragons Abreast Canberra since 2016, Lyndall is really a one-woman band when it comes to dragon boating, with all the skills under her belt - drumming, sweeping and paddling in any position. She loved paddling from the get-go, participating in a regatta and buying all the gear - even before she was a fully-fledged member.
Pricing
Postage and handling, and GST (Australia) are added upon receipt of order.
Postage prices indicated below are estimated costs and may vary at checkout.
All prices are in AUD.
International shipping prices on application.
Print copy
$35.00 per copy
Postage and handling (Australia only)
from $15 per book
