Survivor Rowing Network Racing at HOCR 2025
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Survivor Rowing Network Athletes racing at HOCR 2025, we had the opportunity to speak with four of the athletes who are a part of the Survivor Rowing Network. Through their strength, resilience, and shared experiences, they embody the true spirit of survivor rowing and the power of community on the water. Read below to learn more about their journeys and experiences, and make sure to shop the SRN Pre-Order Store while it is still open until October 22, 2025!
HOCR 2024: Survivor Rowing Network Meet & Greet
We are thrilled to welcome athletes from the Survivor Rowing Network to the JL Racing tent at this year’s Head of the Charles Regatta. These cancer survivors are not only fierce competitors but also powerful advocates for the healing benefits of rowing. On Saturday, October 19th, from 10:15am to 11:15am, we will be hosting a meet & greet with athletes who are racing in the Survivor Row event, taking place at 3:26pm the same day. Stop by the JL tent on Saturday to meet these incredible and inspiring athletes, celebrate their strength, enter a raffle to win a FREE JL swag bag, and learn more about how SRN is growing the survivor rowing community worldwide!
Survivor Rowing Network Racing at HOCR 2024
The Survivor Rowing Network will be floating 11 boats this year at Head of the Charles, marking its second year racing at this prestigious event in Boston. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the inaugural Survivor Row at HOCR, we had the opportunity to speak with four of the athletes who will be racing in Boston this year. The Survivor Row will take place on Saturday, October 19th at 3:28pm.
Celebrating Mothers They Love: Saugatuck Survive-Oars
Rowers from the Saugatuck Survive-Oars have been instrumental in the development and growth of the Survivor Rowing Network. These three strong Saugatuck women have already won the hardest race of their lives, but took on rowing and found new confidence and friends for life. Their children have been some of their greatest supporters and cheer them on and off the water. We asked these survivors how rowing has impacted them, and how their children are celebrating them this Mother's Day.
Celebrate a Mother You Love: The Behrens Family
A powerful bond between mother and son brings us to share their story in celebration of Mother’s Day. We met the Behrens family from New Jersey a few years ago when Brendan participated in the Rowing Cares Pink Boathouse Challenge in honor of his mother, Krisi. He was Celebrating A Mother He Loves. Both Krisi and Brendan are committed to helping those who are fighting. In honor of Mother’s Day, Rowing Cares and JL Racing asked them to share a bit of themselves and their incredible journey.
Survivor Rowing Network: Seats for Survivors Fundraiser
Survivor Rowing Network (SRN) is excited to introduce rowing to more cancer survivors in 2024 and build on its success in 2023, their inaugural year. In honor of Valentine’s Day, SRN is launching their fundraising campaign, Seats for Survivors. JL Racing is proud to open the Seats for Survivors Pre-Order Store this month to support SRN's fundraiser. 10% of net sales from this pre-order store will be donated to the Seats for Survivors fundraiser.
Welcome to Rowing Cares
JL Racing is proud to partner with Rowing Cares in the fight against Breast Cancer, as well as all forms of cancer that affect athletes in our community. Rowing Cares, formally known as Row for the Cure, connects rowing and cancer across the U.S. in support of patients and survivors. The money they raise in each community supports local education, free screenings, rowing programs, follow-up treatments and many kinds of family support as well as well as direct funding for cutting edge research.
Survivor Rowing Network at Head of the Charles 2023
Rowing Cares and the Survivor Rowing Network (SRN) entered two boats comprised of cancer survivors at HOCR 2023. The SRN's mission is to grow Survivor Rowing and help place more cancer survivors into boats and on ergs. They do this by strengthening existing survivor rowing programs through collaboration & by enabling rowing organizations looking to form new programs. Read below to learn more about the incredible women who are coaching, rowing, or coxing in this year's SRN boats at HOCR, and visit the JL tent at HOCR to meet and chat with them. Good luck ladies!
Row for the Cure 2022 Pre-Order Store
The Row for the Cure 2023 Pre-Order Store is open from October 6-October 20 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 20% of all net sales from this pre-order store will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation on behalf of the Row for the Cure organization. Rowers are the perfect bunch to support our community as we battle to win the fight against breast cancer. Ultimately, that is why we come together each year. Not only as competitors but as a rowing community. One goal: to kick cancer, together!
Finding Strength and Recovery Through Rowing
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are highlighting one of our Team JL Ambassadors, Michelle Lyons, who discovered rowing after going through treatment for breast cancer. Read about how Michelle's breast cancer journey led her to find the sport and community of rowing.
Row For The Cure Pink The Boathouse Challenge 2022
Gather your friends, family, and teammates for Row for the Cure's Pink the Boathouse Challenge in honor or memory of a friend or loved one. Have fun and challenge yourself as we come together to fight cancer. Row, erg, run or walk throughout October. Form or join a team and participate in-person or virtually. Proceeds help fund community cancer organizations that support cancer patients and their families and rowing clubs which empower cancer survivors.
One Rowing Stroke at a Time - Surviving Stage 3 Breast Cancer for 20 Years
Former rower, Beth Gardner, has published her book, One Rowing Stroke at a Time - Surviving Stage 3 Breast Cancer for 20 Years. "The book takes the reader down my journey of battling stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 30. In short, I was diagnosed one month after my 30th birthday, one year after retiring from the elite sport of Rowing and 3 weeks before running my first marathon," she said. "Without having the firsthand experience as an elite level of rower AND having been coached by both the late Igor Grinko and late Ted Allison Nash, I may not have had the will to beat the non-discriminatory disease."