Not long after completing treatment for breast cancer, Linda Todaro found herself in Italy, seated in a dragon boat with other survivors and preparing to compete against teams from around the world.

Todaro, who was diagnosed in 2008 at age 51, called the experience “awesome” and “fun.”

The Cabot nurse practitioner, who worked for a breast surgeon at Magee-Womens Hospital, had never considered herself an athlete. But after she completed surgery and radiation, an invitation to learn about Pink Steel — a Pittsburgh dragon boat team for breast cancer survivors — came across her desk.

It changed her life.

“The postcard came across our desk, and my friend says, ‘Oh, you should go do this.’ So, I made her go do it with me, and it was the best thing ever,” Todaro said.

In 2009, she traveled with the team to Italy to participate in an international gathering of breast cancer survivor dragon boat teams. The trip took Todaro far beyond anything she had imagined when she was undergoing cancer treatment only a short time earlier.

Dragon boating gave her strength, adventure and the companionship of women who understood the physical and emotional effects of breast cancer. After years of paddling with Pink Steel, Todaro joined Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel in 2018.

Dragon boats are long, narrow boats propelled by paddlers working in unison to the beat of a drummer. Success depends not only on individual strength, but also on timing, cooperation and the ability of everyone in the boat to move together.

That teamwork reflects what breast cancer survivors find off the water as well.

Janice Bagnato, a co-founder and board president of Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel, discovered the value of that support after her second breast cancer diagnosis. She began searching for a group that could provide information about her cancer and help her better understand her treatment options.

She found a community that strengthened its members physically and emotionally.

“We may come together because of breast cancer, but we stay together because of the love, friendship and support we have found in one another,” Bagnato said.

Breast cancer survivor dragon boating began in 1996, when Canadian sports medicine physician Dr. Don McKenzie challenged the longstanding belief that women treated for breast cancer should avoid strenuous upper-body exercise because it could increase their risk of lymphedema.

The original paddlers grew stronger through the activity, but they also formed friendships and a support system they did not want to lose when the project ended. Their team, Abreast in a Boat, helped inspire a movement that now brings breast cancer survivors together around the world.

Hearts of Steel continues that tradition by combining competition, exercise and friendship. Its mission is to empower breast cancer survivors to strengthen their minds, bodies and spirits through camaraderie and dragon boat paddling.

Although many members did not consider themselves athletes before joining, Hearts of Steel is a competitive team. It recently competed in the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission Dragon Boat Festival in the French Alps, placing among the Top 20 of 156 breast cancer survivor teams.

As Hearts of Steel grows, members are moving closer to a longtime goal of establishing two teams — one competitive and one recreational. That would allow more survivors to participate, regardless of their athletic ability or interest in racing.

No previous paddling experience is required.

Hearts of Steel’s activities extend beyond practices and competitions. Each March, the organization holds a Healthy Living Event that is open to the public. Medical professionals and other experts share information about breast cancer, treatment, survivorship and programs that can improve survivors’ quality of life.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, members participate in events throughout the tri-state area, sharing their experiences and introducing other survivors to dragon boating.

During the team’s offseason, members assemble chemotherapy care bags for patients receiving treatment at cancer centers throughout the region. The project is especially meaningful to members who have undergone chemotherapy themselves.

“Many of us have sat in those same chemotherapy chairs,” Bagnato said. “We know what it feels like to receive a cancer diagnosis and face treatment, and we want every patient who opens one of our bags to know that someone understands, someone cares and they are not alone.”

Hearts of Steel operates as a program of the Three Rivers Rowing Association, which charges an annual membership fee. The team raises money through a golf outing, the Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival, a duck race and community donations. Those funds help provide membership stipends, paddles, racing jerseys and assistance with expenses for out-of-town competitions.

Bagnato said the team does not want finances to prevent an interested survivor from participating.

For Todaro and her teammates, paddling has become about much more than crossing a finish line. Members support one another through new diagnoses, recurrences and metastatic disease while also celebrating victories and making new memories together.

Bagnato wants women confronting a recent diagnosis to know that cancer may alter the direction of their lives, but it does not have to define them.

“There is still so much life to be lived, so many memories to be made and so much joy to be found,” she said. “You don’t have to navigate this journey alone.”

For more information, visit https://www.heartsofsteelpittsburgh.org.