Cancer Survivors Row: Survive to Thrive

Maureen Keefe (Photo by Isabel Aviles)

Maureen Keefe has done just about everything for the Head of the Charles in her years as a volunteer, competitor and race committee member. This year she has a new role: using the Regatta as an opportunity to teach cancer survivors a new way to thrive.

“Surviving is great,” said Keefe, currently fighting cancer herself. “But how do you move beyond into thriving? And I think getting involved in a sport like rowing and having a team and community is a big part of that transition from survivorship into thriving.”

In the Survivors Row Exhibition, cancer survivors took to their boats in a race to win, but also in a race to spread awareness. To the organizers, the event was an opportunity to end day-two of the Head of the Charles with a message of recovery, strength, and hope as the various teams launched from the starting line bolstered by uproarious cheers from the crowds.

It’s that sort of support and affirmation that organizers say can have a significant impact on survivors’ lives.

Almost 100 rowers from more than 20 organizations competed in this year’s event. Competitors came from all across the country, but also from abroad such as Cercle Aviron de Nantes in France and Rosaremo in Italy. At 3:26 p.m. on a warm and sunny Saturday, the Survivors Row Exhibition was underway.

Sagautuck Survive-OARS (Photo by Isabel Aviles)

Keefe had the honor of being the starter for Saturday’s race. As she called each eight-person boat to the starting line, bystanders cheered from the riverbanks. Many of the rowers were dressed in pink. Upstream at the finish line, Whitemarsh Boat Club of Pennsylvania was first across in 21:35. Saugatuck Survive-OARS was second, Crew 309/MIT third.

Beth Kohl, the executive director and board president of Rowing Cares, an organization that connects rowing clubs with cancer survivors across the country, and one of the founders of the Survivor Rowing Network, was encouraged by the increased participation in this year’s race. “We launched last year. We had 12 rowers here, and this year we have 99. Last year we had 15 programs. We now have 27 and we have six that are in the process of joining,” said Kohl.

The Survivor Rowing Network teaches survivors of all types of cancer how to row, as well as builds a community around them. They also work with the medical community to spread awareness of the benefits of rowing and how to participate.

Keefe, who is actively fighting her fourth round of breast cancer, said she believes a network of rowers can serve as a beacon of hope and strength both for people who have struggled through a diagnosis of cancer or been affected by someone else’s.

“Whether you’ve actually been directly impacted yourself with cancer, there are very few people I know that don’t have a friend or family member that either hasn’t gone through cancer, is not currently dealing with, or has actually died from cancer,” said Keefe. “And so it’s pervasive, and I think that a lot of people look at [the Survivors Row Exhibition] and it gives them hope.”