Two dozen paddlers from Chestmates Kingston will represent the city abroad later this month when they carry Kingston’s flag and compete in dragonboat races at the International Breast Cancer Survivor Participatory Festival in France.
Local team heading to Lac Bourget
The team, a breast‑cancer survivor paddling group based in Kingston, trains twice a week at Collins Bay Marina. Members will travel to France to take part in the festival’s racing events on Lac Bourget, the local media report says, marking a high‑profile outing for the club and the city.
Photographs accompanying the announcement show members unfurling the municipal flag that they will carry at the festival, underlining the community dimension of the trip and the sense of city pride surrounding the squad’s participation.
"Members of Chestmates Kingston unfurl the city flag that they'll carry at the International Breast Cancer Survivor Participatory Festival in France later this month."
Team, training and community impact
The Chestmates’ regular practice schedule — twice weekly at Collins Bay Marina — is part of a growing paddling culture in Kingston that bridges competitive sport and community health. The group’s presence at the festival highlights local initiatives that combine recreation, recovery and visibility for survivors.
Organizers and supporters in Kingston say the trip is both a sporting endeavour and a statement about survivorship and solidarity. The chestmates’ preparations included a public training session in Kingston on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, where the team promoted the quadrennial festival and raised awareness of their upcoming journey.
- Team size: two dozen members
- Training base: Collins Bay Marina, Kingston
- Event: International Breast Cancer Survivor Participatory Festival (quadrennial)
- Competition site: Lac Bourget, France
What it means for Kingston
For Kingston residents, the Chestmates’ trip is an example of how local recreational groups can project the city’s identity internationally. The simple act of carrying the city flag to an event attended by survivors from several countries places Kingston in a different light than its familiar image as a university and government centre: here, sport and recovery merge to foster community cohesion.
The club’s presence also underlines the accessibility of paddling in Kingston’s urban‑rural mix. The city’s waterways and marinas provide convenient urban access points for residents who travel to more rural or regional waterways to compete. That connection is visible in Chestmates Kingston’s model: frequent local training sessions leading to international competition.
Local supporters said they expect the team to return with both competitive experience and enhanced visibility for breast‑cancer survivorship programs in Kingston. The trip offers fundraising and awareness opportunities for community groups that work with survivors, and it may inspire other local teams to pursue international participatory events.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Team | Chestmates Kingston |
| Number of members | About 24 |
| Training location | Collins Bay Marina, Kingston |
| Event location | Lac Bourget, France |
As the paddlers prepare to leave, Kingston’s harbourfront will remain a daily reminder of the city’s links to water‑based sport and the community networks that sustain it. For survivors and supporters alike, Chestmates Kingston’s voyage is as much about visibility and solidarity as it is about being first across the finish line.
