Along the Saugatuck River in Westport, rowing is not the only thing that bonds the Saugatuck Survive-OARS. Every rower is also a breast cancer survivor.
“I’ve got a woman in her 30s, and we’ve had women as close to 80. Cancer doesn’t discriminate,” said Diana Kuen, who is the founder of the Saugatuck Survive-OARS.
For breast cancer survivors, recovery can be just as challenging as the fight itself. Kuen found the program in 2018, after Norwalk Hospital reached out about an idea to partner up to incorporate exercise as a part of recovery for breast cancer survivors. From there, the program grew.
“I was one of the original crew members from nine years ago, and when I had my recurrence, it was the difference between how I felt going through treatment the first surgery and treatment with family support, which was enormous, but very different from being amongst a group of cancer survivors and going through treatment again,” said Amy Bauer, a two-time breast cancer survivor.
Every rower has their own story on how they beat breast cancer. It’s no secret the fight can take a toll on someone’s body, both physically and mentally.
“After my second one, I got sick in the middle of chemotherapy. Then, it turned into pneumonia, and then sepsis, and septic shock. I was put in a coma for two months,” said Lori Boersma, who is another two-time breast cancer survivor. “When I recovered, I had to go relearn how to walk, how to write, and how to do everything. That was a huge toll on my family… it was scary and terrifying.”
Research highlighted by the American Institute for Cancer Research has linked regular exercise to a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence. For the Saugatuck Survive-OARS rowers, the sport not only helped them maintain their physical strength, but they have also found a life-changing community.
“I couldn’t do everything. I really struggled with endurance. But I just wanted to be here. I took great strength from the support of my teammates,” said Bauer.
The team is set to compete in the Head of Charles Regatta this weekend. It’s a three-mile course in Boston. Boersma says the team has been training for six days a week for the last three months to prepare for this race.
“It’s an early morning sport. We’re all down here pre-dawn… It takes a lot of strength, a lot of core strength, a lot of arm strength, a lot of mental strength,” said Bauer.
As the team practices down the Saugatuck River, their positive energy and optimism are contagious.
“It’s one thing to go out and do something on your own. It’s another thing to be surrounded by a community that just knows where you’re where you’ve been,” said Bauer.
She adds, “Cancer does not define you; keep moving, keep doing. Keep yourself in motion.”
