As a member of the Rogel Cancer Center staff, I am proud of the research and clinical care that takes place at Rogel and am privileged to be a witness to it. 

As a 2019 Swim Across America - Motor City Mile swimmer, holy smokes, I did it! It was an experience that I will never forget, even as I keep participating in the years to come. I have to give a shout out to my colleague and swim buddy, Kristin Van Raaphorst, for helping me prep for my first open-water swim. She and I swam in Lake Huron before the event and I learned a couple of things very quickly. 1. You have to really lift your head when breathing or you will ingest water with each wave and 2. You may panic, but you can't quit, you just have to keep swimming (thanks, Dory) and know that you will find a stride. 

The 2019 event day was quite an emotional day on many levels. Of course, there was the personal accomplishment of making it through a mile in the Detroit River (the currents in the river are beasts!), but I was also able to see and feel why we all are showing up and doing the work for this amazing cause.

2020 was, of course, a wild year filled with many pivots. It was a nice and welcomed pivot to have SAA - MCM as a virtual event that virtually took us to each SAA swim city across the country with each walk, swim, bike, and run that we collectively logged. 

2021's swim was a joyous event for so many reasons, but primarily because we could all be together and swim again. The swim for me was a really different swim from my first one in 2019. I was more grounded and knew that I was only swimming for me (and the cause) and it was such a pleasant swim. Not to mention the course was different from 2019 and there wasn't as much current...

The 2022 and 2023 swims were in a word, refreshing. I am now able to connect to the day on both a personal and professional level and am continuously proud of us all. During the 2022 swim, I swam the course as if I were on a Sunday stroll and even paused for a moment to wave to family on shore! Last year, although SAA is not a competitive swim, I did focus a little more on my speed. 

I have so much pride in Swim Across America and the Rogel Cancer Center and I am so grateful for those who have and will support me and the important work that we are all doing. Thank you! Thank you!