ONCE AGAIN, THE ANNUAL SWIM-A-MILE FOR WOMEN WITH CANCER!

On October 3, 2017, I swam the Swim A Mile for Women with Cancer, a benefit for the Women's Cancer Resource Center in Oakland, California (WCRC).

This was my 20th year to do the swim.

For my team of four, "Janet's Angels" (Harriet, Allison, Amy, and me in the photo above), this was a bittersweet swim.  

We all were swimming in memory of our dear friend, and Harriet's daughter, Janet, who passed away at the end of May after 10 years with metastatic breast cancer.

Janet has swum with us for the past several years and we miss her.

Thanks to our generous sponsors, our team has raised close to $9,000 for WCRC, and, I personally have raised nearly $5,000.  Those who sponsored us are friends of Janet and also have their own friends and family who have been touched by cancer.  

For my sponsors I swam in memory/honor of close to 100 people who have been touched by cancer. 

These are some photos from the Swim A Mile.  At the end of this post, I've included a tribute to Janet, with photos of Janet and some links to videos that include her.

Team "Janet's Angels" with "Janet ♥" written on our backs  

Harriet and Amy getting ready to swim

My list of those I and my sponsors remember and honor

The Swim a Mile Memory/Honor board

Harriet finishes her swim

Just as happy after the swim

Allison enjoys an after-Swim massage.  WCRC takes very good care of Swim A Mile participants

As always, there is plenty of delicious food to enjoy before and after the Swim

 Amy receives her medal

Harriet has been swimming with me for 10 years.

 

I celebrate with Christine Sinnott, WCRC's wonderful Swim A Mile Coordinator

The Swim goes on for two full days in the beautiful Mills College pool.  About 500 people swam this year.

 

REMEMBERING JANET:

Janet's first Swim a Mile with me and Harriet 2013

Janet's 40th Birthday Party, 2014

Janet's Creative Way to Deal with Hair Loss from Chemotherapy

Janet at Swim A Mile 2016

Our 2016 swim team of Pam, me, Janet, and Amy

Enjoying food samples at the Winter Fancy Food Show, January, 2017. Food and wine were among Janet's passions.

VIDEOS FEATURING JANET:

A presentation at the 2016 Exponential Medicine Conference in San Diego, CA.

"With You by Thousand Days featuring Janet Sollod, a music video. 

Once Again, I Swam A Mile for Women with Cancer

Last weekend was the Swim-A-Mile for Women with Cancer.  For my 17th year, I participated in the swim and completed the entire mile…all 72 laps/lengths of the Mills College Pool.

Thanks to all my generous sponsors, I've raised over $3600 for the Women's Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) in Oakland, California.

There are very few fund-raising events that are swims. Swimming is the activity that I do most often and regularly throughout the year. I have swum with the Walnut Creek Masters Team since 1995 or 1996 (after all these years, I've lost count). Before that, I'd had a life in the water, learning to swim as a very young child by going to the beach with my family during the warm weather months.  Swimming has always brought me joy and energy. And, when I was being treated for cancer, I kept on swimming and made my swim buddies my support group.

Once again I shared a lane with Harriet and Janet, mother and daughter, respectively.

Janet, who is about to turn 40, has been a cancer survivor for nearly 8 years.

The three of us were among 630 people who did the swim over the two days of this past weekend.

Here we are ready to swim.

and get in the check-in line

After the Swim, we celebrated.

At the Swim, there is a wall where swimmers can post the names of those whom they honor and remember. I include names from those who sponsor me and and from my own ever-expanding list. This year I swam in honor of 33 people and in memory of 26 people. When I write up my name cards, I have hope that one day, cancer will just be a chronic disease that can be managed and allow those with it to live active full lives. 

The Women's Cancer Resource Center will still accept donations to sponsor me in this year's Swim-A-Mile.  Just go to WCRC's web site and type in my name in the "Search for swimmers" box. You can also read more about the swim and about WCRC on the web site. 

Maybe next year, you will join me in the pool the first weekend of October.

Swim-A-Mile for Women with Cancer, 2013

Well, I did it again...for the 16th year!

I did the annual Swim-A-Mile for Women with Cancer, a fundraiser for the Women's Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) in Oakland, California. This year it was on October 5 & 6.

Harriet & Janet shared a lane with me. This is Harriet's 7th Swim-A-Mile and Janet's first. Janet is a cancer survivor who is going strong...for the past 5 swims she's cheered Harriet and me on. But this year, she took the plunge and swam with us.



Janet and I even wore matching glittery swim suits.

This year, 586 people (women, men, children can all do the swim) swam in the course of two days. The event is at Mills College in their beautiful pool.

I swam in Honor of 32 people and in Memory of 26 people, all of whom have a special connection to those who sponsored me in the swim.  We swimmers post their names on a big bulletin board by the pool.



I'm proud to say that I have raised, so far, nearly $3900 for WCRC.  My part of swimming 72 lengths of the pool (1800 yards) is nothing compared to the generosity of friends, family, and colleagues who continue to sponsor my swim.  I truly appreciate it and am gratified that we are able to help WCRC continue to provide the FREE services that it continues to offer to women with cancer.

Collectively, WCRC has raised more than $350,000 to date from the swim.

WCRC Development Manager, Christine Sinnott, and Executive Director , Peggy McGuire, continued to smile and provide inspiration to we swimmers throughout the weekend.

Both Harriet and Janet finished their swim proud and smiling!

And, when I arrived, friends Pat and Judi were already celebrating the end of Pat's swim.

The pool remained filled with swimmers all day long. More than 140 volunteers made the weekend a success.

After we swam, it was time for lunch.  There is always tasty food for all throughout the day.

Since the weather was exceptionally warm and clear, we relaxed on the lawn while enjoying our lunch and just taking it all in.

And, yes, we did go back for seconds!!!

Harriet and Janet certainly looked like pinup girls, for those of you who remember pinup girls!!!

WCRC is accepting donations for the Swim-A-Mile until the end of November.  If you wish to sponsor me, you can do so on the WCRC website.  Just type in my name and it will lead you to my Profile page.

Looking forward to Swim-A-Mile 2014! The dates are October 4 & 5, 2014.