Two local women competed in the International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships in Brandenburg, Germany. Rose Marie Battaglia and Berlin Tanner brought back a total of 12 silver and bronze medals while representing Team USA at the championships.
Battaglia competed in the Breast Cancer Paddler division, bringing home one silver medal for the 2,000-meter race and three bronze medals for races ranging from 500 to 1,000 meters.
Tanner competed in the Senior C Division. She won four silver medals for races ranging from 500 to 2,000 meters and four bronze medals for races ranging from 200 to 2,000 meters.
Battaglia and Tanner are both members of the Central Coast's "Survive-oars," which is part of the non-profit Central Coast Dragon Boat Association. Their mission is to build a community of competitive dragon boat teams while supporting cancer survivors in the sport.
"We all had a story about how we were diagnosed, how we were treated, and all the trials and tribulations we went through with a diagnosis of breast cancer. But what we all shared in common was that we thrived in our survivorship. To be able to get on a boat, to be able to qualify for a national team, to compete at the worlds," Battaglia said.
