World Champion rower Jane Rumball, who won the women's pair event with partner Darcy Marquardt this year in Eton, England, will row solo at the Head of the Charles Regatta this month to help raise money for cancer, a disease that has struck two of her immediate family members.
"This past year both of my parents were diagnosed with two different types of incurable non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a span of six months," explains Rumball, a native of Fredericton, N.B., who trains in London, Ont. "While I have been fortunate to be able to spend some time with them during their treatments and recovery, I wanted to do something more."
On October 21, Rumball is racing in the Championship Women's Single at the 42nd Annual Head of the Charles in Boston, a prestigious event that includes several international racers (including her pair partner Darcy Marquardt who is a 2004 Olympian).
"Beyond dedicating the race, I wanted this to be a fundraiser for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma research," she said. "I am very aware that there are cancer patients out there who would love to be on the water racing as well, but are using every ounce of energy they have to just get through one more chemotherapy session, one more CT scan, one more day. So this is for my parents, but also in recognition of the many people out there who have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and are unable to do the things that athletes do on a daily basis."
Rumball, 28, is partnering with the Canadian Cancer Society to raise funds for cancer research and calling the event "Row Against Cancer." All the funds raised will go to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma research.
For more information and ways to donate, please visit http://rowagainstcancer.tripod.com or call the Elgin-Middlesex Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society at (519) 432-1137 and mention you would like to donate to the "Row Against Cancer" event.
Several other Canadian athletes will compete at the Charles (Oct. 21 to 22), the world's largest two-day rowing event (www.hocr.org) - watch for a Canadian preview and updates closer to the regatta.