By Nicolette Helling & photojournalist Harry Baker, FOX 21 News

SUPERIOR - Having breast cancer is a frightening and life-changing experience.

But at this weekend's Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival, breast cancer survivors and their supporters banded together to compete and fight the disease that has so affected their lives.

"I'm a breast cancer survivor and I just wanted to, you know, be involved in this," said Peggy Rydberg.

The Many Faces of Breast Cancer teams are new to the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival this year.

They needed their own teams because so many survivors and supporters wanted to participate.

"You just have something in common with breast cancer survivors," said Rydberg. "You almost become like this sisterhood."

Rydberg of South Range was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004; she battled it and beat it.

Unfortunately Rydberg's cancer came back, an unpleasant truth she says she would never have known without help from another breast cancer survivor.

"How I found out my breast cancer came back: somebody else had the same kind of pain I had," said Rydberg. "Just happened to be at this meeting, talking about it and I said, 'Geez, I got the same kind of pain too. Maybe I should go get mine checked out.' It was pretty devastating at first and then I just thought, 'No, I'm gonna beat this again.'"

Part of her plan to win in her second bout with cancer involves leading a team of women with experiences similar to her own.

But for a novice group of rowers, just paddling in sync can be a challenge.

"That's very difficult. And we're really not concentrating on that this year. Our first year we thought we'd just concentrate on having a good time and next year maybe we'll get a little more competitive," said Rydberg.

Tammy Graves-Miller of Poplar is the captain for team two and has participated in the dragon boat festival before.

If you ask her what keeps her coming back, she'll tell you.

"Breast cancer," said Graves-Miller. "I'm a survivor myself. I was diagnosed when I was 33 years old."

Graves-Miller wants to raise money to find a cure for the disease that has put her through a harrowing medical journey.

"I had eight surgeries. I was in a coma and I had three strokes due to the chemo, but I'm here, I'm alive and that's another reason why it keeps me coming back," said Graves-Miller.

Many of the teams' members are still going through treatment, and she says, she's proud to row with them.

And Graves-Miller admits, without this group, she would be depressed.

Besides raising money and having fun, participating in the Dragon Boat Festival might have some positive health benefits.

Breast cancer survivors say, just being together on the water and working together as a team makes them feel better and reminds them, they're not alone.

"Knowing you can count on these people makes a world of difference," said Graves-Miller.

"Just knowing other breast cancer survivors, like I said, it saved my life," said Rydberg.

The many faces of breast cancer teams didn't win Saturday's race, but these survivors have already won - just by coming together.