Divas on the Fly

Go to: Goals and Objectives | Organizing Committee

Background Information

Brought together by a mutual passion for both assisting breast cancer survivors in their recovery and researching the process of recovery, the planning committee intends to develop a program that will address the following issues in breast cancer survivorship as outlined by researchers and survivors alike.

Fly fishing programs for breast cancer survivors have been operating with success for the last decade. Despite the attention that these programs have received from the media and the community of breast cancer survivors, no research has targeted the affect that these programs have on breast cancer survivors. Intuitively, volunteers, corporate partners and participants seem to identify the benefits of these programs, however there is a large gap in literature that supports such initiatives. There is however, literature reviewing the contribution that leisure activities can make to the quality of life that breast cancer survivor’s experience.

While mortality rates of women diagnosed with breast cancer have declined since the 1990’s, it is estimated that 22,400 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and 5,300 will die of the disease. Increasing survivor rates mean that initiatives of non-medical support systems for breast cancer survivors are needed. Researchers have suggested that many patients recovering from serious illness are “disheartened to find that the post-treatment phase of their care is sadly wanting”. This argument is supported by the statement that one such researcher provides relating to survivors’ memories of treatment that “the growing population of breast cancer survivors affirms that research on this condition is imperative”. The body of literature goes on to explain that many women experience “uncertainty and depression” after treatment and that anxiety about the disease still remain after contact with medical support systems are lost. It is at this phase of the recovery process that leisure can have remarkable impact.

Qualitative research using the real thoughts and experiences of breast cancer survivors indicates that after the experience of breast cancer a woman experiences a shift in priorities and leisure experiences become more important. Through qualitative data gathered on survivors experience with dragon boat racing a reoccurring theme of women using leisure to promote an attitude of “not just being a survivor, but a thriver” and appreciation of “quality of life over quantity of life” has occurred. Research that has been done on leisure as a mechanism for coping with the post-treatment phase of breast cancer, has suggested a need for further research into areas of leisure that are suited to the needs of breast cancer survivors including fly fishing.

Currently, several organizations deliver fly-fishing retreats for breast cancer survivors throughout Eastern Canada and the rest of North America, however there are no opportunities for these types of experiences in British Columbia. The planning committee is excited about the opportunity to offer this type of retreat in partnership with your organization in order to aid in the recovery of breast cancer survivors. The focus of this retreat will be the use of leisure activity, fly fishing, as a tool for facilitating healthy and holistic healing in the process of breast cancer recovery. Another goal of this retreat will be to design a prototype of this event that can be used to deliver future retreats.

Goals and Objectives

The goals of the project are:

  1. To provide breast cancer survivors with an opportunity to experience the sport of fly fishing;
  2. To provide the participants with activities which may enhance their quality-of-life;
  3. To provide an avenue for social support and group interactions with individuals with similar medical challenges;
  4. To provide an opportunity for participants to experience a healing connection to the natural world.

Organizing Committee

Our organizing committee exists of:

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