Member Profile: Celeste

by Marla Khan-Schwartz

Celeste has always loved being outdoors and immersing herself in various forms of physical activity. After she completed her breast cancer treatments following her diagnosis in 2004, she wanted to find a way to support her healing that aligned with those personal values. 

While she was working at the YWCA part-time, Celeste met another Dragon Diva who already paddled with the team. She decided to try it, and after the first time meeting the team and stepping into the boat in 2017, she knew she would come back. 

“There's something about being on the water that's just healing and relaxing,” she says. “I loved it from day one.”

“It was like a support group,” Celeste reflects. “It was a bunch of women who talked about all kinds of things, not just breast cancer. “Just knowing that we had the same experience, we didn't really have to talk a lot about that experience, but it created a bond.”

Being part of the team has also helped Celeste build strong relationships with her teammates. “I've met so many wonderful women through this group,” she says. “Some of them have traveled with me and they're very inspiring because of all their stories.”

Since she began paddling, Celeste has participated in as many regional festivals as her schedule has allowed, additionally attending both the 2018 Florence, Italy, and the 2023 New Zealand international breast cancer dragon boat festivals. 

Although the festivals are competitive, Celeste says the team always makes room to reflect about breast cancer during the festival flower ceremony. “There's a sadness for the people we’ve lost and there's an overwhelming gratitude for the fact that you've survived this,” she says. For Celeste, the ceremony is emotional and personal each time she attends a competition. “My mom and sister both had breast cancer and did not survive.”

The mission of the Dragon Divas helps meet both her desire to be physical and to work through her own cancer journey, saying, “Regardless of our histories, or where we come from, there's something healing about being with all these women who have journeyed the same journey.”  

When Celeste is not paddling, she spends time with her grandchildren, is an avid quilter, and considers herself a “Peloton girl.” She also works full-time to support people with developmental disabilities, implementing services that encourage independence. 

Now beginning her seventh season as a Dragon Diva and celebrating 19 years as a cancer survivor, Celeste encourages others to join the team, saying, “I would encourage people to try it. Once you try it, you’ll probably get hooked and want to keep doing it.”