July 1, 2008
Olympic swimmers make waves in the fight against cancer
While the world's elite swimmers prepare for the Olympics in Beijing, several former Olympians will put on their wet suits just after sunrise on July 11 to jump into chilly Boston Harbor. The Olympians are kicking-off the 13th annual 22-mile relay swim around the Boston Harbor Islands to benefit Swim Across America (SAA), which supports pediatric cancer survivorship programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
"I participate in Swim Across America because this is my way to give back, to help educate others about cancer and surviving it, and to help build survivorship programs," says Atlanta Olympian Carlton Bruner. Bruner's mother is an ovarian and breast cancer survivor and his father has been successfully treated for prostate cancer.
Bruner will make a splash alongside other Olympians including Janel Jorgensen, Jenny Thompson, Craig Beardsley, Tim McKee, Glenn Mills and Eric Wunderlich, as well as additional competitive and casual swimmers. Some of the Olympians will also participate in a shorter half- or one-mile SAA event at Nantasket Beach in Hull, Mass., on July 12.
Since SAA's inception in the Boston-area in 1987, the program has earned tremendous support from U.S. Olympic swimmers, who bring leadership, direction and inspiration to other competitive and casual swimmers in the community. Many also bring an understanding about living with cancer and raising critical funds to fight the disease.
Jenny Thompson, one of the most decorated Olympians with 12 Olympic medals, lost her mother to esophageal cancer in 2004. "When I start to think about how cold the water is and how painful it is to swim, I quickly remind myself that this is nothing compared to what my mom went through with chemotherapy and radiation," explains Thompson.
For Janel Jorgensen, 1988 Olympic Silver medalist and current executive director of the SAA, cancer has become a reality. "When I started with Swim Across America more than two decades ago, I used to hear the statistic that three out of four families are affected by cancer, and I never grasped how that could be accurate. Now, more than ever, I realize how cancer can quickly impact your life," says Jorgensen. Her father, Erik, was treated at Dana-Farber two years ago for prostate cancer, and until this past Christmas had been living in remission. He is now being treated for bladder cancer diagnosed in December 2007.
Craig Beardsley and Glenn Mills, both on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, have been involved with SAA for years as a way to use the sport that has been good to them, to help others who are competing in the game of life. Beardsley's mother lost her long battle with breast cancer in 2004. "You are constantly on pins and needles when a loved one is going through treatment for cancer," says Beardsley. "It is draining. Now I take solace in all of the improvements that have been made with cancer research and care."
Mills' older brother Kyle passed away from bone cancer just one week before his high school graduation. Kyle was on the school swim team when his right leg was amputated, and he continued to participate in swim meets. He then joined the golf team and quickly ranked number one on his team. Kyle's athleticism was an inspiration to Mills. "Watching Kyle overcome so much showed me what people can achieve," says Mills. "Even when he passed, Kyle's courage motivated me to be a better person and swimmer."
SAA is a non-profit corporation that runs events from Boston to San Francisco to support cancer research at the country's finest hospitals and institutions. Proceeds from all of the Boston-area swims benefit the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Program at Dana-Farber. Experts there help pediatric cancer survivors with an array of issues, including long-term effects of treatment, social and psychological concerns and the risk of second cancers. Organizers hope to raise more than $300,000 this year from the Boston-area events.
For more information, visit www.swimacrossamerica.org.
Contact
Elizabeth Chernack
Dana-Farber
(617) 632-4687
elizabeth_chernack@dfci.harvard.edu
