Survivor Rowing Network Racing at HOCR 2024

Survivor Rowing is growing. We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of interest, support and acceptance for Survivor Rowing and the Survivor Rowing Network. Just one year ago we launched SRN with 15 founding member organizations and two boats competed at the Head of the Charles. Today 27 programs – and more in the pipeline - compose our strong and inspirational community which offer rowing to cancer patients and survivors for recovery, rehabilitation and socialization. This year we have 110+ rowers, coxswains and coaches participating in the inaugural HOCR Survivor Race. We are eternally grateful to Brendan Mulvey and the HOCR for hosting us. Together we are making history.  For many of the participants this is their first head race and for most it is their first Head of the Charles. They have already won the greatest race of their lives, the fight against cancer and now they are ready to take on the greatest rowing event – we could not be happier or more proud." -Beth Kohl, Executive Director of Rowing Cares

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the inaugural Survivor Row at HOCR, we had the opportunity to speak with four of the athletes who will be racing in Boston this year. Through their strength, resilience, and shared experiences, they embody the true spirit of survivor rowing and the power of community on the water.

JL Racing: Can you share your story of how you came to be involved with rowing and SRN? What was the initial draw to the sport for you?

Laurel: I had seen pictures of Crew 309 on Facebook and one of my friends was a member. I thought it looked like a really fun group. I was diagnosed in July 2022 and Crew 309 was having a new member meeting in August. I was very nervous to go but the women were so welcoming it was great and I have been rowing ever since. The only time I took off was for surgery and the day I was released from the surgeon I was right back at practice.

Dee: My initial involvement survivor rowing is kind of ironic. I was to begin a "regular" Learn to Row program in Alexandria, Virginia, but a month before it was to start, I was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer and had to cancel my registration. The following year, after chemo, radiation, a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgeries, I attended a support group for breast cancer survivors and one of the participants was a part of WeCanRow DC and the rest they say, 'is history." I started their Learn to Row program along with DC Strokes' Learn to Row and began my involvement with SRN last year when I applied and was chosen to compete in the Head of the Charles 2023.

Pauline: 12 years ago, I quit my place as a radio journalist to live from my passion: rowing. I've been a rower since I was eleven and I really wanted to coach. 

But 12 years ago, in France the clubs were all focused on competitors, hoping to get money for their competitive results. Clubs struggled to pay the coaches. The French Federation started programs for coaches to be able to train people with long term illness. Since my club could get financial support from the government to launch this initiative, I jumped on it to help my club, and I was curious to make the most of the opportunity.

By this time, I had no Idea that this path was about to change my life.

In France rowing is only known through the Olympic Games and so everybody thinks it's hard, that it's all about pulling with your arms, that you have to be really strong... People don’t really understand how about sports can be adapted to people with cancer, so imagine me trying to convince doctors, hospitals, physiotherapists,... to send me people in treatment or following treatment to my rowing club!! Even the rowers of my clubs weren't with me. They thought I was mad, or I was unaware. It took me a whole year to convince a hospital specialized in oncology to send 10 patients. And so began the journey for the rowing club of Lyon and for me. Since we started, we open between 10 and 15 places year after year our "rowing for health" program. We’ve gotten a strong reputation of kindness, patience, professionalism and yes, a little madness! One day I was wondering if we could find other program like ours, to exchange about how we train, what kind of challenge we do, and I dreamt for a long time to go on the HOCR... so in 2023 we took a boat to Boston and met the Survivor Rowing Network and it is like a brand new world opening to us.

Amy: I have always been an active person and when I spotted a flyer at the cancer center about a survivor learn to row program in my community it really appealed to me. 

JL Racing: Looking back on your journey from diagnosis to now, how would you describe the role of rowing in your recovery and personal growth?

Laurel: Rowing has changed my life for the better, these women are the best thing that ever happened to me. They support me emotionally and physically. The feeling of having cancer surgery behind me was amazing and Crew 309 supported me the entire way.

Dee: Cancer seemed to have taken control over my body and psyche. I lost 50 lbs., I lost my hair, and I was hospitalized twice for pain management while undergoing chemo. I was depressed, but putting on a good face. Rowing gave me agency; I became stronger, more fit, and my depression lifted by being active and by learning something new. I am in control, not the cancer.

Pauline: As a coach, every year I meet people during different stages of the treatment. I tried to find a special challenge to motivate my rowers to come training despite the bad days, the treatment, the bad nights, the fatigue--like rowing in Venice, trying coastal rowing and beach rowing... and each year I discovered they could do so much thanks to the power of the team and the positive goal to achieve. They come first to the club wanting to get better, to survive, and they stay to achieve a positive challenge, something fun, something strong for them, not for the illness. When they start, my rowers are often afraid to get hurt during the rowing session on water, but they find a space where we take time and adapt the time of effort, the gesture, to every rower's ability. They are tired but as they said, "now it's for a good reason." Session after session they find the mobility back, the muscles working gently but efficiently, they can follow their recovery by comparing their session on erg and the time they are able to stay on water. 

Often rowers come to tell me that they are now able to take care of their house all alone, it's always a sign that they get closer to a "normal" life where illness doesn't dictate the rules of daily life. They begin to regain confidence in their bodies and in themselves and once they've met the challenge they've chosen, they can taste victory over disease.

Amy: Having a community to rebuild with after treatment was a game changer. The thoughts that I can have when I am alone trying to work out were replaced by the supportive voices of teammates who were always encouraging. When I suffered a recurrence, those same voices and people were at my side, encouraging, nudging and pushing me to get through. Getting back in the boat was a goal that was at the forefront of my mind. 

JL Racing: What was your first experience on the water like? How did it feel to transition from being a cancer survivor to a rower or coach?

Laurel: My first experience on the water was at our very first Crew Camp, sitting in that boat for the first time was a little scary but then we began to row and it was peaceful and I fell in love with rowing on the water.

Dee: Honestly, the first year of rowing was a mixed bag. I have competed in other sports at relatively high levels, but there is nothing harder than getting a boat set with 8 other people (coxswain included). But when you do, it is magic. There's a sense of invincibility when you can feel the boat move beneath you that is hard to beat. The 'anything is possible' carried in to other areas of my life.

Pauline: As a coach, I was very over-careful with my first team of cancer survivors. And so were they. But every year the switch usually comes very fast. As soon they are familiar with the boat, the way to carry the oars, to get by themselves on the water, they have so much pleasure to glide on the water, focus on the technique. I can feel their mind empty of all of the medical appointments, the next chemo, and also the mental load of the family life. They discover a brand-new universe and a safe place on the water where a coach leads them to row better and nothing else can reach them or put them down. They don't have to think, actually they can't think of anything else than the movement of the team with the boat.

Amy: The first outing was exhilarating and exasperating at the same time. It was so exciting to be off the erg and in the boat but it was maddening that it did not translate as smoothly as I had hoped. 

JL Racing: How has SRN’s guidance and resources helped you and your local program?

Laurel: I believe SRN has given us the tools to improve and grow our program.

Pauline: SRN was exactly what I was looking for as a team coach to make my team feel the power of a huge community even more. In France, we have around 40 clubs with the "rowing for health" program. But every club does its own thing. We have difficulty connecting with other clubs around France and in Lyon we are very advanced in many respects. The team supports each other but I was looking for something bigger to share our stories, be inspired by others and tell others what our journey was. The Survivor Rowing Network is a new connection with so many programs all over the world, opening new opportunities with Italy, Ireland in Europe, but also with Boston, Chicago and every team across the U.S. We are so happy to share and meet. 

It also means being part of an international network that gives our projects greater credibility and importance with potential funders.

Amy: SRN has been an early supporter of the survive-oar rowing program and provided grants to support our program and much encouragement and support as we entered the Race for the Cure.

JL Racing: What does racing at Head of the Charles mean to you, especially as a survivor and as part of SRN?

Laurel: Racing in Head of the Charles is an opportunity of a lifetime, definite bucket list item for me. I cannot believe I get the opportunity to sit in the boat and take place in this amazing event.

Dee: The HOCR is the pinnacle for any rower; tell anyone who knows anything about rowing that you are rowing in the HOCR and their faces light up with memories, jealousy, or both. Racing as a breast cancer survivor is an honor and it also gives me a platform to give hope to others; to spread the word of SRN and to demonstrate what is possible.

Pauline: The HOCR is the most famous race in the world view from France.

It's a dream for so many "usual" rowers. Year after year my cancer survivors discovered that they could row on big events for fun, or to prove that cancer doesn't mean that everything is over.

I've been dreaming of rowing in Boston since I was a kid. So last year we started to speak about this "crazy" project for us to go.  And a rower had connections that led us to the SRN and the US rowing inclusive program. We were so grateful to be invited to register an eight in our category of age. 

All the rowers were cancer survivors, and they knew that all of the other boats would be in a better shape, but they were so proud to represent all the French cancer survivors training to get their own victory.

All the rowers in the club were in admiration, asking so many questions, helping them to go on water, even the champions of the national team. It wasn't just in their bodies or in their mind, it wasn't just about our team. For everyone, even in the other clubs in our area, they became an example of "where there is a will, there is way" spirit. 

Amy: Rowing as part of the inaugural team last year was one of the highlights of my adult life. The training and prep were tough but the knowledge that we were paving the way to spread the word and increase awareness of the importance of rowing in the survivor community was well worth it! It was a dream weekend from start to finish!

JL Racing: Can you share any particular goals or hopes you have for this year's race or experience at Head of the Charles?

Laurel: I just want to soak in every part of the event and take as many pictures and videos so I can share them with my Crew family that were not able to be here.

Dee: My teammates will tell you that I am very competitive; I try not to be a jerk about it anymore, but the stopwatch does mean something to me. Aside from our time, personally I would like to take in more of the HOCR experience. I was a bit nervous last year and was taken aback by the rain. I hope to take time to look around more this year, to see more boats race and to visit more of the tents

Pauline: Coming back this year is such an achievement already. We hope we will continue to inspire other teams all over the world. No matter if you have been a rower or if you started a few months ago. We are really excited to participate in the first HOCR Survivor Row and meet all the other SRN teams, there would be no other place to gather so many women and men to share similar stories of strength, courage, resilience and rebirth. We just want to enjoy every moment, every encounter right up to the finish line.

Amy: I am so excited to be able to share this experience with my home team, in our new pink boat. 

JL Racing: What message or inspiration would you like to share with others who might be considering joining rowing or getting involved with SRN?

Laurel: Rowing is a great way to exercise, reduce your risk for cancer reoccurrence. Rowing is something that is good for your mind, body and soul.

Dee: Give it shot! At the very least you will meet some fantastic people, some will become friends that will last a lifetime. We are a pretty fun group. At most, you will discover how strong and resilient you are.

Pauline: IT'S WORTH IT! No matter where you are from, what your rowing history is, or what you've been through. This network is the best example of what a human community can do for each other. You'll find hope, happiness, bravery, ideas and A LOT of goodwill that makes everything happen. This will definitely fill you up with an endless energy to keep rowing everywhere. This fire will never leave you.

Amy: Just do it! Challenge yourself. Having survived and endured far worse, any trepidation about taking on a new sport pales in comparison to where you have been. 

JL Racing: Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience with SRN or your journey?

Dee: Being a part of SRN allows me to give back; to help others who are just beginning their cancer journey or who, like me are looking to take charge of their bodies.

Amy: Russ and Beth Kohl have been tireless in their quest to get SRN off the ground and to spread the message. The growth that has occurred in one year is nothing short of staggering and my involvement with them and the program has truly been a gift. 

Athletes racing in the SRN boats will be at the JL Racing tent at HOCR for a meet & greet on Saturday, October 19 at 10:15am. Stop by to meet some of these incredible athletes, chat about survivor rowing, and learn more!