Still, they couldn't help but be upset when they found out that vandals had damaged their 40-foot dragon boat after pulling it out of Lake Mercer and dragging it for 30 yards before dumping it in a parking lot nearby.
"I really think they were trying to steal it because it was so far away from the water and in the middle of the parking lot," Machestic Dragons President Terry Coleman said.
Witnesses told police that on Monday evening, after a heavy thunderstorm, they saw a group of teenagers in several cars. Someone had chained the boat to a minivan and began dragging it.
The question is why?
"I'm a 12 year breast cancer survivor and this is part of proving that there's life after breast cancer...to have kids do this is something I just can't comprehend at all," Machestic Dragons' Lenora Kandiner said.
"I'd like to see their energy directed in much greater, positive things," Dragons' Carol Watchler said.
Fellow rowers like Ned Foster helped repair the damage to the boat's steering arm. The team says the vandalism has accelerated the need to replace the 8-year-old boat, which costs about $15,000.
To add insult to injury, the incident comes just days before the team's big paddle for Pink Fundraiser on Sunday.
"We have a lot of practices from now until race day so that was our main concern, getting the boat back in the water," Coleman said.
The boat may be a little worse for the wear, but the Machestic Dragons say their team will keep moving forward; for these cancer survivors, that's already a way of life.
