Row to Recovery & Recovery on Water - how it started
Born and raised in Galway, and currently living in Chicago, Nuala Kavanagh was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2007. She became co-chair of Chicago Galway Sister Cities in 2022 and was relooking at the complete exchange system between Chicago and Galway and potential networking projects.
Nuala immediately thought of Recovery on Water and Row to Recovery, and how they could create exchanges between both organizations with the larger goal of hosting each other on opposite sides of the Atlantic: Events that would center around rowing but also include discussions on breast cancer, the care we receive, life after diagnosis, treatment and more.
Tara Hoffmann represents Recovery on Water in Chicago, founded in 2007 when a breast cancer survivor and a high school rowing coach had the same idea at the same time: that rowing could provide both exercise and community to women emerging from breast cancer treatment. They now serve over 100 women annually.
Robin Winkels represents Row to Recovery in Galway, a volunteer-led registered charity providing a unique and holistic approach to healing the spiritual, mental and physical well-being of those affected by cancer treatments, through the sport of rowing.
All three women are now working together with their teams on ways to bring these two clubs together and create an amazing journey for members.
What this initiative will bring
Rowing is a sport that brings people together, promoting teamwork, healthy competition, and fitness. When the members are all people affected by a cancer diagnosis the effect is even more profound as the benefits of such a partnership go far beyond the sport itself. By bringing people from different cultures together, this partnership promises to build bridges and foster understanding between communities that might otherwise be strangers to each other.
These two clubs are a perfect match. They share similar values and are both committed to using rowing to make a positive impact after a cancer diagnosis. By working together, they will be able to achieve their goals more effectively, sharing ideas and building on each other's strengths.
Exciting Times ahead
All three are excited about the potential of this new collaboration. Robin remarks ‘I recognize that both groups share the same goals, have the same type of members, and are both interested in learning from each other, making new friends, and building lasting relationships. It’s a perfect match’.
“I feel that there is a lot that we can learn from each other, and we are keen to share our own insights and experiences with them too.” says Tara.
Nuala adds “This partnership promises to be a fruitful one. The clubs plan to organize rowing events in the USA and Ireland, travel to each other's countries to explore and connect, and conduct panel discussions. These activities are aimed at fostering positive relationships that will enhance the experiences of everyone involved.”
Exciting times ahead indeed, we look forward to keeping you posted as we develop this new friendship.