Go Green, Go Pink!
6/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
June 25, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich.- - From the muddy, river-soaked socks on their feet to the sunglasses that cover their twinkling eyes, the women of the Pink Ribbon Crew team look like any other rowers as they grip their oars with calloused hands, walking purposefully toward the dock, poised and ready to take the water.
And on the water, Pink Ribbon Crew participants are just like any other rowers. They are dedicated to their sport, they are committed to excellence and they strive to improve, sometimes having to fight winds, choppy water, icy, drizzling rain and the scorching heat of the summer sun.
Fighting through unstable weather comes with the territory of being a rower. What sets the women of Pink Ribbon Crew apart is a fight that many of them have already won, and that some continue to combat, their personal battles against breast cancer. And for these survivors, learning to row has been an essential element of the healing process, in claiming back their bodies, their health and their lives.
Pink Ribbon Crew rows on the Grand River, out of the Michigan State University varsity boathouse at Lansing's Grand River Park. Some members of PRC also row out of the Lansing Oar and Paddle Club during the summer and that boathouse is located adjacent to State's. Most current members are from the Lansing area and currently represent women ages 34-59, though women of all ages are welcome.
"Our mission is to help breast cancer survivors rediscover who they were before they got sick and also to give women athletic opportunities that some of them might never have had," said Michigan State rowing assistant coach Stacey Rippetoe, who founded the Lansing chapter of the program, serves as head coach to Pink Ribbon Crew, and has been at the backbone of the program since its inception.
In 2001, Rippetoe worked at a non-profit camp in Boston, called Row As One, the mission of which is to expand rowing for women who did not have the opportunity to row in high school or college and to make crew less of an elitist sport, as a result.
One of Rippetoe's athletes at Row As One that summer was a breast cancer survivor who wore a lymphedema sleeve, in order to prevent swelling in her arm as a byproduct of chemotherapy and having had her lymph nodes removed.
When another rower at the camp asked the woman about her sleeve, she explained that she had had breast cancer. As it turned out, the woman next to her had also survived breast cancer. And the woman next to her. In fact, four or five women at that very camp were breast cancer survivors.
"They started comparing notes and there was no consistent advice from their doctors about restrictions on physical activity," said Rippetoe. "People were coming out of chemotherapy and surviving, but they did not get their lives back because it was like they were always patients."
As a result, the group of breast cancer survivors came together as a subunit of Row As One and dubbed themselves, "Women Enduring Cancer Row" or "We Can Row," for short.
"The whole idea is to make the transition from patient to athlete," said Rippetoe. "Again, a lot of these women did not play sports in high school. A lot of them did not have the chance to do so because girls did not have those opportunities when they were that age."
Rippetoe brought the idea with her to Lansing, where it came to fruition as the Pink Ribbon Crew team, making it the second program of its kind in the nation and the first-ever rowing program started for the central purpose of teaching breast cancer survivors how to row. Today, there are 13 We Can Row programs nationwide.
PRC began with a learn-to-row mini-camp in August 2002, hosted by Rippetoe with the help of the MSU varsity crew team staff, as well as MSU varsity crew team members.
 Pink Ribbon Crew practicing in an eight on the Grand River.  | |
"We just put a two-day camp together," said Rippetoe. "So, on Friday and all day Saturday, we had them erg and then we got them on the water in a four."
Right from the start, the program took off and PRC officially came into being. Those who began rowing with the program fell in love with the sport, the team and the opportunity to embrace an active lifestyle.
"This experience has been so enriching," said Judy Riley, 56, a recently retired kindergarten teacher, who joined Pink Ribbon Crew in the summer of 2003. "It has been a life-altering experience, as a result of the first life-altering experience, (in having had cancer)."
Given the positive impact that rowing has had upon the lives of Pink Ribbon Crew members, it is no surprise that the program has expanded on such a vast, national level.
"The first time I got to row in a boat, I felt like I was flying," said 57-year-old Karen Simpson, who joined just before the 2003 winter season began and only had one opportunity to row on the water before a grueling winter of indoor training on rowing machines, known as ergs.
"But I like erging too," added Simpson, who works for the Board of Water and Light. "Having to erg is worth it, just to be able to row. I don't care where we go or when we come back, I just love getting in the boat and rowing."
Pink Ribbon Crew offers its members far more than the simple joys of rowing or partaking in physical activity in and of itself.
"It is like a support group, but it has another dimension," said Ann Thorsen (48), another member of PRC. "You are not just sitting around, looking for ways to support one another, it grows naturally with the team experience and emerges out of the camaraderie that exists."
"It can truly be more like a support group than anything else at times," said Billie Berman, 54, a nurse. "It has been just wonderful."
"It is just nice to be in an environment where you can just mention something and people will get it," said Thorsen. "I tend to find that people who have not been through the experience are uncomfortable with you talking about cancer, but among us, you can say, 'Oh my gosh, I just had another CAT scan and I am waiting for the results,' and everybody will know exactly what that feels like."
"Being a member of this team has helped me to be more open about being a breast cancer survivor," said 59-year-old Kellie Wilson, a retired Board of Water and Light representative who has been cancer-free for 18 years. "I use to talk about it and people around me knew, but I was never really involved in fundraising or Race for the Cure or anything. I have become more active for the cause and I feel more comfortable being active now."
"Just knowing that you are doing something that helps you stay in shape, while spending time with such great people, makes it valuable," said Simpson. "And the coaches make it so much more fun."
And while PRC is an incredibly close-knit group, members are always looking for new additions to the team, stressing that newcomers should not feel intimidated by the closeness of the group or by the sport itself.
"I think that the activity itself can be intimidating," said Thorsen. "When we first started, some of us were scared, thinking, 'Can I do this?' It is a really athletic activity and I had never done anything athletic. So, the first day, I was walking up to the group thinking, 'Am I out of my mind?' But we try to do what we can to reassure people and to welcome newcomers. We are so excited to have new members, so hopefully that breaks the intimidation factor that may or may not exist."
Not only are there three distinct PRC sessions per year, two of which are consistent with the Fall and Spring university semesters and a session over the summer that is less structured due to Rippetoe's summer absence, but Pink Ribbon team members urge those interested to join the program at any time, even mid-semester.
"We are constantly trying to get new members," explained Les Algren, 51, who has been with PRC since it began in 2002. "Any time that we can get someone new, we want to grab them and start them midstream so that they can get worked in."
Newcomers also have the opportunity to receive coaching tips from fellow team members with rowing experience.
"We have made every mistake that there is to make," laughed Willson. "So, we know where new rowers are coming from. We know how awkward it feels at first and we want to help people overcome that and love the sport, just like we did. Also, we are able to develop a partnership with new people and it is really in the team's best interest that newcomers enjoy it. Plus, it forces us to think through what we learned and what helped us, which reinforces to us how to do it correctly."
"It is kind of like we are the upperclassmen," said Algren of the role that she and fellow PRC veterans take on, in helping newcomers.
While PRC members gain specific benefits from stepping into a coaching role of sorts, Rippetoe, Silder, Dooley and those whose responsibilities to PRC solely entail coaching, reap a multitude of personal benefits themselves.
"It has been awesome," said Rippetoe. "I expected it to be fun and I expected to learn from them because, fortunately, I have not had the experience of having to survive cancer, so I thought I would meet some pretty brave people. I learned a lot from them, just about how to be brave in that way."
Rippetoe's involvement with Pink Ribbon Crew has offered her an experience that transcends what she expected to learn when initially starting the program.
"The way that I have watched them bond really surprised me," said Rippetoe. "I really did not expect for them to become such a cohesive team, so quickly, so that has been a great reward. It is so much fun to come and teach them, to see what they are up to and to see what mischief they are getting into, because they are really all such incredible people."
Former MSU varsity rower and current PRC assistant coach Amy Silder knew that she wanted to be involved and decided to help out from the beginning, but, she too, gained more from her experience with Pink Ribbon Crew than she had bargained for.
"It was my senior year at Michigan State and I offered to help out during the first meeting because I wanted to see what it was all about," said Silder. "I thought it was so cool that Stacey was starting a program exclusively for breast cancer survivors. I love rowing and I wanted to teach them to enjoy rowing. At first, I was in awe of these women. Soon enough, I began to realize how cool they all are and how much fun they all are. Now, it is not that I am helping out with the Pink Ribbon Crew, it is that I am helping my friends, who happen to be members of the Pink Ribbon Crew."
Even the rowers themselves have had an experience that they could not have predicted, despite their excitement to join Pink Ribbon Crew. Because all but one of the members of team had no rowing experience prior to joining Rippetoe's program, many of them did not know what to expect when they joined, but just wanted to try something new.
"A staff person at the American Cancer Society handed me a brochure about rowing," said Algren. "It looked like fun and she told me that someone was trying to start a breast cancer survivors team and right away I was like, 'I'm there!' I am old enough that I grew up before Title IX, so I never had sports in high school, but I have always been kind of a tomboy. Once I saw the photo on that brochure, that was it. I thought, 'I am going to do this.'"
Some women already had an interest in rowing, but never imagined pursuing the activity themselves.
"When MSU women's crew hosted Big Tens here in 2002, there was a photo of the women's crew team in the Lansing State Journal and I thought that is looked so cool, but at my age, it did not seem realistic," said Willson. "I grew up before Title IX, so I just thought, 'Too bad.' A friend of mine told me about the program and I was so excited. Once I tried it, I was hooked immediately."
Thorsen had heard about breast cancer survivors taking part in Dragon boat racing in other cities and was so excited about the idea that it helped her get through treatment.
"When you are going through chemo, you just feel really dragged out," said Thorsen. "I was feeling like I would never feel good again, like I would never feel strong again. So, when I heard about (survivors involved in) Dragon boat racing, I thought, 'There must be another side to this! You must be able to get over it and feel good and be able to do things!' It was really encouraging to me, but when I looked into it, there weren't any teams in this area. Then, I heard about Stacey's camp at a support group and I knew that I wanted to participate. Like Kellie (Willson), I was hooked right away."
"I heard about the program at an American Cancer Society event last year and someone suggested that I come down to the river the next day," said Riley. "I had never ever envisioned myself doing such a thing, but I wanted to check it out. The team was so helpful, warm and friendly. It was an unbelievable experience and it just became contagious to me. I had to keep coming back because I was so curious about what we would get to do next."
Pink Ribbon Crew participants' excitement about the program was evident from the very beginning. And as Rippetoe guided them in the first few team meetings, she was not only teaching, but learning as well.
"She was really careful of us at first," Willson remembered.
"She would say, 'Well, try this stretch, but be really careful and if it hurts you or if you can't do it, it is OK,'" recalled Thorsen. "But we all just went for it and you could see the surprise on her face."
"She started conducting practice, thinking that we were really fragile and needed to be really careful," added Willson. "We quickly dispelled that myth."
"Later, she told us that when she was teaching something, she could tell that we listened, understood and then went for it, like we had a personal drive to accomplish our goals," said Algren. "I don't think that any of us were really aware of that, but I think that she was absolutely right."
Rippetoe reiterates how much Pink Ribbon Crew has taken to the sport and how enthused her athletes are about taking their rowing skills to the next level.
"They want a serious training plan," said Rippetoe. "They want to compete and they are taking it to a level that I did not anticipate because I never realized just how much they would fall in love with the sport."
"After that, Stacey told us that she had set out planning to make an exercise program for us, when really it became a training program," said Thorsen. "That is how much we took to the sport, which was a really neat thing."
And the training program to which PRC members have adhered has led many of them to develop a love for competing, though it is certainly not a requirement for those involved in the program to compete.
PRC participates annually in the Head of the Grand regatta, Michigan State's home regatta of the fall season, as well as indoor, 2000-meter erging competitions in Elkhart, Ind., an event at which five PRC members medaled last winter.
"Every single one of the PRC members who competed got a medal for her performance," said Rippetoe. "So, that was really fun because, for some of them, it was the first medal that they had received for anything athletic in their lives. It was a really neat experience for all of us."
 Pink Ribbon Crew members with the medals that they earned in Elkhart, Ind. | |
The program has made such a dent in the rowing world that renowned boat-maker, Pocock, donated an eight-person shell to them, which PRC celebrate with MSU in a boat-dedication ceremony in the spring of 2003.
And Pink Ribbon's aspirations do not end there.
"We want to have them go to masters nationals, if they want to," said Rippetoe, of the competition that will take place in Oakridge, Tenn., this August. "And since We Can Row has expanded to 13 programs nationwide, there is going to be a We Can Row regatta in Massachusetts in September. I really want to coach them competitively, but I cannot give them what they need because of my role with the Michigan State team and that takes priority. Still, I want to teach them how to be athletes because so many of them have never had that chance before."
Although she cannot offer undivided attention to PRC, Rippetoe's involvement with the program is unparalleled and her dedication to the team and its members shines in their praises for her.
"Stacey has so much energy for this whole program," said Algren. "She made this program and, without her, we would not be here."
"What makes her care about this program in the way that she does is a mystery to me," explained Thorsen. "But, I don't dare question it too much because I just want it to keep going. She is so dedicated."
Dedication is at the core of the Pink Ribbon Crew for all of those involved with the program, from dedication to rowing and dedication to one another.
"We have become friends," added Algren. "And I would say, good friends."
The kind of support and friendship that exists between Pink Ribbon Crew members extends well beyond the boathouse. Thorsen recalls an example that highlights the character of her team.
"My father passed away in March and the whole team came to the visitation," said Thorsen. "It was a 90 miles away on a work night. I was just so touched, it was an amazing thing."
And even 90 miles away from their home water, Pink Ribbon Crew members were as much of a team as ever.
"Five of us were standing there in a group and of course we were somewhat dressed up," remembers Algren. "The funny thing was, when Stacey (Rippetoe) walked in, one of our friends noticed that we all immediately stood up straight, as soon as we saw the coach. So, Stacey has a presence with us that we weren't even aware of!"
 Pink Ribbon Crew celebrates team member Kellie Wilson's retirement with "celery boats." Willson stands center, holding decorative oar. | |
And the Pink Ribbon Crew has an undeniable presence of its own, a presence that has carried over into the Michigan State varsity squad, as many of its athletes have become passionate about involvement in the program.
"All kinds of rowers have helped us out," said Thorsen. "One of the real privileges of being a Pink Ribbon Crew member has been getting to know the MSU crew team. They are such an amazing group of women. They are athletes, they are bright, they are service-oriented, they are so nice and they are so supportive of us. They are truly encouraging."
Many members of the MSU crew team have such passion for the program that they have taken on coaching roles themselves.
"They have a variety of jobs," explained Rippetoe. "Kristin Dooley, a rising junior, and Amy Silder were really my right and left-hand people, but so many athletes are involved. They come out to cox for them, to support them, to help them with technical things, like where to hold their hands on the oar. It is great because when the MSU athletes help out, the Pink Ribbon athletes receive a lot more personal attention."
"It is such a phenomenal program and it makes it even more wonderful that seasoned rowers volunteer to help coach," said Riley.
Dooley was drawn to the opportunity for involvement with PRC because she wanted to support the cause.
"It is just such a great program," said Dooley. "I really wanted to be a part of it."
Her dedication to PRC has carried into a heightened appreciation for her own athletic experiences.
"Working with the Pink Ribbon Crew just made me realize how lucky I am to have rowing in my life. A lot of these women grew up before Title IX and did not have the opportunity to play any sports in high school or college. And then you see how hard they work and you have to consider, how many people take up a new sport when they have children of their own in college? It is a really neat thing."
While Dooley and her teammates are struck by the gusto with which the women of PRC have approached rowing, PRC holds a similar level of respect for the MSU athletes.
"They are in awe of us, but we turn around and we are completely in awe of them," said Algren. "They are taking the time to help us, to give us hints, to support us and they are truly a part of what our team has become. If we need someone to help fill out the boats, they are there."
"They cox for us, even the really tall ones!" Thorsen said, referring to the position of the boat known as the coxswain, whose role is to steer the boat while encouraging her rowers with specific, helpful commands. "I think that we have really developed a great relationship with the Michigan State team."
Pink Ribbon Crew member agreed that it was no surprise to see the varsity crew team, a host of talented, driven, young athletes, step up to help in the way that they have.
"To me, (PRC) just seems like such a Michigan State-esque program," said Thorsen, who works as the assistant director of customer services in administrative information services at MSU. "It embodies the mission of the university with regard to service, outreach, education and benefiting the state of Michigan."
In addition, PRC serves as a critical, albeit frightening, reminder to young women about the potency of the breast cancer threat.
"One of the things that really makes an impression on the MSU team is when you just look around at how big the women's team is and consider the statistics," said Silder of the fact that roughly one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her life. "You just think, 'woah.'"
And while PRC serves many relevant purposes to those who interact with the team, at its core, PRC truly benefits its members the most.
"This program really helps people to regain trust in their bodies," said Algren.
"Or to gain trust in your body if you never had it to begin with!" laughed Thorsen.
But beyond personal reasons, PRC is striving to make an impact on the medical community, particularly in establishing a medical consensus that repetitive upper-body motion does not contribute to lymphedema, as some doctors have suggested.
"There is a lot of doctor folklore out there," said Thorsen. "Some say that you shouldn't practice repetitive upper body exercise. Some say that you should never lift more that 15 pounds with the arm on the side that you have had lymph nodes removed, if you have had them removed, but there does not seem to be any scientific evidence to support those claims."
"Some say that you should not do things like climbing trees," added Algren. "But I do that anyway."
"And all three of us practice weight training, among others." said Willson, of herself, Thorsen and Algren.
"But think about it for a minute," said Thorsen, gravely. "If you believe that you should not lift more than 15 pounds, consider grocery bags, gallons of milk, all of the simple day-to-day activities that you would not be allowed to perform. You are handicapped."
And as the women of Pink Ribbon Crew celebrate their survival, individually and collectively, they certainly refuse to let anything stand in their way.
"After having breast cancer in both breasts, a year apart, I never thought that I would be an athlete again," said Berman. "I went from thinking, 'Am I going to die?' to having the confidence to know that I can do anything."
For more information on Pink Ribbon Crew, how to join the team or simply support the program, visit: www.msucrew.com or the Lansing Oar and Paddle Club's website at www.loapc.com.
If you would like to get in touch with PRC head coach Stacey Rippetoe, you may contact the Michigan State University Sports Information department at (517) 355-2271.
by, Adrienne LaFrance