Cancer survivor inspires with his rowing prowess
FLORIDA TODAY News
JENNY McCOY July 5, 2006
SEBASTIAN -- In 1995, Bob Lynch learned he had cancer.
Eleven years and hundreds of watery miles later, the Sebastian man has slighted the deadly disease by rowing the entire east coast of Florida and raising thousands of dollars for charity.
Following his diagnosis of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, a rare form of incurable blood cancer, Lynch faced a dramatic lifestyle change with the onset of 18 months of chemotherapy and an early retirement from his 23-year career with the Florida Department of Labor.
In 1998, Lynch completed the inaugural Either Oar Cancer Survivor Row, with a 150-mile solo row from Key West to Miami. This charitable row raised money for the International Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Foundation through donations and pledges per mile. It also began his conquest of the east coast of Florida. He continued his route in 2000 with another solo row of 200 miles from Melbourne to Miami. In 2001, Lynch was joined by some of his closest friends to row 155 miles from Stuart across the state to Fort Myers.
In his latest row, Lynch completed his trek of Florida's east coast by rowing 162 miles from Melbourne to Jacksonville with personal friend Cork Friedman, 42, of Miami.
"We got a great response from the people that live in this area, and the people we met along the way were super," Lynch said. "It was a great row."
The first and last days of the recent trip proved to be the most challenging for Lynch and Friedman. The duo began their voyage with a 9 1/2-hour row against the wind from Melbourne to Titusville. They arrived in Jacksonville a day earlier than scheduled after Tropical Storm Alberto provided incentive for them to cover two days worth of rowing in one.
Prior to previous rows, Lynch has spent nine to ten months in preparation, gathering as much support as possible. His fourth row was set up in a much tighter timeframe, however, it still gathered a great deal of support and interest. With each row, Lynch has not only been an inspiration to other cancer sufferers and survivors, but he also has raised thousands of dollars for the foundation. As of May 31, Lynch's latest row has raised $7,500, and checks are still coming in. In past years, Lynch's rows have raised upwards of $30,000.
While Lynch aims to raise as much money as he can for the foundation, he values his inspiration to the countless number of people he has met along his journey more than any monetary figure.
"If I can affect one person, the race is a success, even if we only raise $10," said Lynch.
Lynch first began rowing as a child and rejoined the sport 30 years ago. His return to the sport was induced by his lifelong love for the water and his preservation of the necessary limbs and joints for the sport.
"I've banged up the rest of my body so there's not too much left to do through other sports," said Lynch.
Lynch trains for three months prior to each marathon row, covering a distance of seven to eight hundred miles in that time period. He is out on the water for up to four hours a day, six days a week. In between races and training, Lynch rows five days a week and aims to complete 1,200 miles a year. One of Lynch's inspirations is Lance Armstrong, fellow cancer survivor and seven-time inner of the Tour de France. He proudly wears Armstrong's Livestrong bracelet every day.
"I take cancer very seriously," said Lynch. "My heart goes out to people just being diagnosed. When you get diagnosed you're not just scared anymore; you're sick and scared."
While Lynch has barely had enough time to take a deep breath since his Jacksonville voyage, he is already throwing around ideas for his next row.
"I'm thinking the Panhandle," said Lynch. "It's the only area I haven't covered yet."
In addition to planning a location for the next row, Lynch has set up a web site and has future fundraising ideas and rowing endeavors in the works. Lynch is in the process of creating a T-shirt that will be sold prior to the next row. Plans are also in the works to plan day and weekend rows for those interested in rowing and supporting a good cause.
