They battled cancer, now they’re battling for the gold.
Chasing Dragons is a feature-length documentary that follows a group of breast cancer survivors as they defy the odds to race for Team USA in the 2027 International Dragon Boat World Championships.
“Every stroke that brought you here was earned—not just through training or sweat, but through every battle you’ve fought long before you ever picked up a paddle.
You are not just survivors. You are athletes.
Warriors. Trailblazers.”
—COACH ANGELA LONG, JULY 15, 2025, BRANDENBURG, GERMANY
History Was Made
In July, 2025, thirty-eight breast cancer athletes represented the United States in the inaugural Breast Cancer Paddler Division at the International Dragon Boat World Championships.
The newly formed crew of breast cancer athletes brought their game. Team USA came home from Germany with 3 silver and 3 bronze medals. The perseverance, grit and determination forged in their individual fights against cancer coalesced into a team bound by love and shared experience and they left nothing on the water.
In 2027, Team USA will return in pursuit of the Gold!
A Model of Survivorship
The addition of the Breast Cancer Paddler Division in 2025 elevated breast cancer athletes to the highest level of international sport, proving once again that survivorship is not defined by limitation.
But the quest for gold is not the greatest challenge these women have faced. Breast cancer paddlers share a history: the waiting rooms, the diagnosis—“You have breast cancer.” The chemotherapy. The surgeries. The long road to recovery. And then the quiet, persistent question: Who am I now? What does survivorship look like?
Dragon boat racing offers more than competition. It offers reclamation. Strength. Identity. Community. On the water, they compete fiercely. At the finish line, they embrace—cheering one another on even as they race to outpace each other. Their bond transcends nationality, language, and medals.
About The Film
Chasing Dragons provides an opportunity to combine two key documentary genres for a unique narrative that is inspirational and engaging for all audiences. Filming in cinéma vérité style, the documentary will capture deeply personal character portraits of hardship and survival and weave them together with high-energy cinematic sports storytelling.
Chasing Dragons will capture the raw vulnerability of women reclaiming their identities after cancer while tracking the rigorous training, setbacks, and triumphs of building the U.S. Breast Cancer Paddler team. These parallel stories of personal struggle and collective strength culminate in an international competition that reframes how we think about competition, collaboration, and self-determination.
The Filmmakers
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
PAULA MURRAY, Founder of Artefact Design, is a strategic design and fundraising consultant working for over 30 years with non-profits that educate, innovate, heal, and empower.
A 20-year breast cancer survivor, she is also a world-level dragon boat paddler and coach. Along with Head Coach Angela Long, she coached the 2025 inaugural Team USA breast cancer team at the Olympic-level World Championships in Germany.
PRODUCER/DP
EMERY CLAY III, Founder of Solsbury Hill Productions, is a director of photography, producer, director and editor who’s been working in film and video production for over 25 years. He’s been nominated 27 times and received 6 Emmy Awards for projects in the United States and abroad.
A partial list of corporate clients include Nike, Porsche, Genentech, Gilead, Microsoft, Sony, Breitling, HP, Intel, Sun Microsystems, Kaiser Permanente and the Discovery Channel.
Emery has dedicated a great deal of time helping non-profit groups find their “video-voice.” Driven by the pursuit of social justice, he chooses projects that challenge us to think, question and feel.
PRODUCER/WRITER
STACY WATERS is the Founder and Executive Producer of Waters Creative. She relies on her background in journalism and video storytelling to produce impactful digital content.
She’s produced and written award-winning content for network television, independent documentaries, and global brand marketing campaigns.
She expertly crafts stories with an approach that captures the authentic voice and emotion that make them resonate.
Stacy has received 7 Emmy Awards for women’s health, history, travel and entertainment documentaries.
Contribution Levels
Credit “Executive Producer” in opening credits and IMDb
Opportunity for regional screening with filmmakers
Marketing opportunities for corporate entities and foundations
Opportunity for branded athletic gear
Production updates
Logo in press materials and website
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
$100,000+
Credit “Co-Producer” in opening credits and IMDb
Opportunity for regional screening
Marketing opportunities for corporate entities and foundations
Production updates
Logo in press materials and website
CO-PRODUCER:
$50,000-99,999
Credit “Producer” in opening credits and IMDb
Production updates
4 regional premiere tickets
Logo in press materials and website
PRODUCER:
$20,000-49,999
Credit “Associate Producer” in opening credits and IMDb
Production updates
2 regional premiere tickets
Logo in press materials and website
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER:
$10,000-19,999
Credit “Special Thanks” in film credits
Production updates
2 screening tickets
DRAGON CHASERS
$1,000-9,999
SUPPORTER
$0-999
In Honor of/In Memory of designation available.
If you do not require a tax deduction, please send your check to:
Artefact Design
3648 Beneva Oaks Blvd.
Sarasota, FL 34238
Chasing Dragons is a fiscally sponsored project of SIMA Studios, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit arts organization, which supports creative projects that advance positive social change. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Chasing Dragons must be made payable to “SIMA” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Please make checks payable to: SIMA Studios
Include “Chasing Dragons” in the memo line of the check
Please mail to:
SIMA Studios
551 Norwich Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90048
GIVE BY CHECK (NO FEES!)
Send email to:
[email protected] to receive wiring instructions.
GIVE BY WIRE (NO FEES!)
GIVE BY Credit Card
You can make your gift as part of a larger group, as in XYZ Dragon Boat Team, or in honor or in memory of someone.
• If donating online, you can use the Notes prompt to indicate affiliation or person being honored.
• If making a wire transfer, please indicate in the email
• If sending a check, please indicate in Memo section
Click here to give securely online. (Normal fees apply)
“You paddle today for more than just yourselves.
You paddle for the sisters who cheer from home—
the ones who’ve walked this path, the ones still fighting, and the ones who we carry with us in memory. You carry their names in your hearts and their spirits in your strokes.
And for those who have yet to be diagnosed—who don’t yet know they’ll one day need courage like yours—
you are their light in the storm. A living promise that there is strength after diagnosis, hope after hardship,
and joy even after sorrow.”
—COACH ANGELA LONG, JULY 15, 2025, BRANDENBURG, GERMANY
