They’re a sight in pink on the waters of Bayou St. John as the Survivor Rowing Club has been training for one of the world’s largest regattas.
For these warriors, each stroke tells a story and serves as remembrance for lives lost.
Each one of these women knows what it means to be in choppy waters after hearing the diagnosis of breast cancer.
“I’m rowing for the three of us,” said Gwendolyn Calais Taylor.
Her mother and aunt passed away from the same disease that she would later be diagnosed with.
“I was 45 years old with a 5-year-old,” said Taylor. “I just knew that I had to do something to get myself stronger mentally and physically to live, to see them grow, my children.”
That same sentiment is why the Survivor Rowing Club was born in Southeast Louisiana.
“I had taken a learn-to-row class, and I thought, ‘This is the perfect thing for breast cancer survivors,'” said Dr. Karen Blessey, a physician at Ochsner Hospital.
She developed breast cancer ten years ago and wanted a way to help women maintain their physical activity in a fun and supportive way.
“150 minutes of exercise a week decreases the risk of your breast cancer coming back,” said Blessey.
So, she reached out to a group of friends in a similar boat.
“I’d never been on a rowing boat, but I don’t even remember the last time I canoed. But I got in the boat, and I loved it,” said Taylor.
“There was no preconceived notion of, ‘Can I do this or not?’ We all just don’t know what this is. So, let’s go try it,” said Blessey.
The team quickly realized they had something special: grit, grace and a survivor’s spirit.
“There’s just so much going on with them personally that when they come to the boathouse, everything changes,” said Rob Phillips, who coaches the team. “Everything that happens on the water stays on the water. And things that happen off the water, they discuss it, but it doesn’t it doesn’t impact their ability to, go for common goal.”
And that goal is competing in the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. It’s considered the Super Bowl of regattas in the U.S., drawing more than 12,000 competitors over three days.
“I mean, we couldn’t figure out how to lift the boat, much less get in it. And now we’re about to compete in the largest regatta in the world. It’s amazing,” said Blessey.
And that support, this team, doesn’t just stop at the finish line.
“When they’re in treatment, they have a team around them. They have friends that come in, drop off meals,” said Phillips. “And when they ring that bell, all of that goes away, and they move on to the next person.”
As they look ahead, the club hopes to encourage other women setting out on a similar journey.
“I want them to see that you can have a long, healthy, strong, powerful life,” said Blessey. “Maybe you’re in better shape than you were before you got the cancer, after your diagnosis.”
A support system that “lets it fly.”
“I’m so proud to be here with my sisters,” said Taylor.
The Survivor Rowing Club has been training for the 5,000-meter special survivors race on Oct. 18 in the Head of the Charles Regatta. It will mark their first competition as a team.