FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 25, 2015

 

COMPETITIVE SAILING PROGRAM FOR CANCER SURVIVORS TO LAUNCH APRIL 9 –

FOUNDED BY LOCAL CANCER SURVIVOR, TEAM WILL TRAIN AND COMPETE ON SF BAY

 

SAUSALITO, CA. MARCH 25, 2015 – On April 9 at 6:30 p.m., over 100 members of the sailing and cancer communities will gather in San Francisco at Tank18 to launch Resilience Racing, a competitive sailing program for cancer survivors. Founded by local sailor and cancer survivor Jennifer Hinkel, the program will train an all-cancer-survivor team to compete in seven SF Bay regattas during the fall of 2015. Ms. Hinkel, who is 34, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1998 at the age of 17 and completed treatment with a successful remission at the age of 18.

 

The Resilience Racing program will train up to twenty cancer survivors to compete in seven San Francisco Bay regattas in September and October 2015, including the Jazz Cup, Jessica Cup, and Leukemia Cup. The team will race on classic sailboats called Farallone Clippers, which are 38’ wooden boats built between the 1920s and 1950s in Stockton, CA. The Farallone Clippers are one of the most revered and historic racing fleets in the San Francisco Bay, built to classic lines and known for victories in major regattas throughout the twentieth century.

 

Resilience Racing has the commitment of professional sailing coaches to assist in training racing crew in only a few months. Application to join the all-cancer-survivor team is open to survivors over the age of 21, and no prior sailing experience is required or expected. Resilience Racing is seeking corporate gifts and sponsors to make the program completely free for cancer survivors.

 

Ms. Hinkel will open the launch party by sharing her personal experience with cancer and the inspiration behind Resilience Racing. The launch will mark the official kickoff of fundraising and the opening of team applications.

 

“Cancer has changed dramatically in the past decade,” said Ms. Hinkel, who is also a consultant advising health care companies in the oncology field. “So many people are completing treatment, going on to remission, and trying to return to a ‘normal life.’ But life does not seem normal after cancer. Even if the result is remission or cure, the experience can be disruptive, scary, and traumatic. For me, competitive sailing was the thing that finally took me past these hurdles. I am excited to share what I have found to be an amazing healing activity with others who have also been through cancer.”

 

Plans for the program continuing on from 2015 include training at least 40 new racers a year, and racing on two or more boats. Resilience Racing is a non-profit corporation with a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor.

 

If you’d like more information about Resilience Racing, please send a message through the website at www.resilienceracing.org. Registration and details for the launch party can be found here via Eventbrite.