Debbie Nyman refuses to let a diagnosis define the mood, and that choice changes everything.

While facing breast cancer, living with her daughter and a newborn, Debbie is carrying uncertainty that is as emotional as it is medical. But instead of allowing cancer to take over every part of her life, she makes a deliberate choice to keep living, laughing, and finding reasons to be happy.

And in the middle of treatment, something unexpected happens—she finds love.

Debbie shares the vulnerable reality of the not-knowing: Will the treatment work? Will she need more? What side effects are coming next? Yet her story is also a beautiful reminder that even during one of life's hardest chapters, there can still be room for joy, connection, new beginnings—and yes, even love.

This conversation is about more than surviving breast cancer. It's about continuing to live while you're going through it, embracing happiness when it finds you, and discovering that a diagnosis doesn't get to decide what the rest of your story will look like.

Because sometimes, even in the middle of the storm, life can surprise you with something beautiful.

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In this powerful episode of Still Paddling, Teresa Ellen Murphy shares a journey she never expected to take.

Diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer during the isolation of 2020, she faced difficult treatment, unexpected complications, and moments that taught her the importance of advocating for her own health. But cancer would not be the end of her story.

Years later, Terry found herself in a dragon boat—not just paddling alongside other breast cancer survivors but eventually representing the USA at the World Dragon Boat Championships in Germany.

Crossing that finish line brought everything full circle. She remembered the days when treatment left her so weak she was crawling on the floor, and realized she was now competing on the world stage.

This is a story about resilience, self-advocacy, finding strength through community, and discovering what may be waiting for us on the other side of the hardest chapters of our lives.

Sometimes we are entered into races we never chose. But that doesn't mean we can't cross the finish line—and discover just how far we've come.

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Nearly 20 years after her breast cancer diagnosis, Avilia Castro looks back on the moment everything changed—and the life she chose to build afterward.

Diagnosed at an early stage after noticing a small lump herself, Avi shares the difficult reality of 38 radiation treatments, the fear of recurrence, and how cancer changed what mattered most to her. Over time, support, spirituality, travel, salsa dancing, and eventually dragon boating helped her rediscover strength, community, and joy.

Today, Avi's message is simple but powerful: make time for your screenings, ask questions, seek support, and don't wait for a diagnosis to appreciate the life you have.

This is a story of early detection, nearly 20 years of survivorship, and a reminder that there is life after cancer—and we're still paddling.

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Gabrielle Ximena Barragán was diagnosed with triple-positive breast cancer in 2020, just as the world was shutting down and uncertainty was everywhere. But Gabrielle discovered just how strong she really was. Through chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and immunotherapy, she leaned on faith, resilience, self-advocacy, and the support of the people around her. Today, she looks at life differently, creating moments, serving others, and finding strength and community through dragon boating.

Her message to someone newly diagnosed is simple and powerful: You are stronger than you think. Take it one day at a time, believe in yourself, have faith, and remember—there is always tomorrow.

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Our guest, Olga Arcila didn’t just survive cancer. She built a foundation "Caminando con Olga" so no woman has to walk through diagnosis, chemo, fear, or recovery alone. Because sometimes the hardest part isn’t the treatment - it’s learning howto ask for help. The foundation is a growing non for profit  organization lead by one survivor choosing toshow up for another, proving that compassion can be just as powerful as the treatment.

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Taffie Lynn Butters went from being diagnosed in January 2020 and going through much of treatment during the isolation of COVID, to intentionally rebuilding her health, discovering dragon boating, and five years later competing in Germany as a member of Team USA’s breast cancer survivor dragon boat team. What began as a lonely breast cancer journey turned into a powerful story of healing, purpose, and possibility. Through integrative health, movement, and a whole lot of resilience, Taffie found a new path forward — one paddle stroke at a time. A reminder we all need: You are stronger than you know. You’re worth every healthy decision. And if you’re still paddling, you’re still moving forward.

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After surviving breast cancer at just 35 years old, Mary Carrillo refused to let her diagnosis define her future. Instead, she found a new purpose.

In this inspiring episode of Still Paddling, Mary shares how trusting her instincts led to an early diagnosis, the challenges of facing cancer without health insurance, and the difficult road through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and lymphedema. Most importantly, she tells the story of how dragon boating transformed her life and inspired her to found Broward Fierce Fighters, a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team that has empowered women for the past 10 years.

This conversation is a reminder that a cancer diagnosis doesn't have to be the end of your story. Sometimes, it becomes the beginning of your greatest purpose.

In this episode you'll meet Alejandra Mourin. At just 28 years old, healthy, active, and building her future, breast cancer was the last thing on her mind. Like many young women, she never imagined it could happen to her.

When she discovered a lump, she was told more than once that it was probably nothing because of her age. But she trusted her instincts, continued asking questions, and advocated for herself.

That decision changed—and very likely saved—her life.

There are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States, each with a unique story of resilience and triumph. Today, we shine a light on one such story: Dr. Irma Rey, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and has been cancer-free for over 11 years. Her journey not only highlights the importance of early detection but also emphasizes the transformative power of community and self-care.

In this episode of Still Paddling, Sadia Brammer shares how a breast cancer diagnosis transformed her life. From the fear of hearing the words "you have cancer" to finding strength through family, faith, and dragon boating, her story is a reminder that healing is about so much more than treatment—it's about rediscovering yourself.