ST&BF: Active Survivors of Sheboygan: Past, Present & In Between!

ST&BF: Active Survivors of Sheboygan: Past, Present & In Between!

By Tim E. Renzelmann

I really don’t know how many of you may be interested in this... but I’m going to share it anyway! It is, as I see it, my prerogative as the writer/editor of this Local Cancer Community Update as well as a responsibility of the unique position I have held in our Local Cancer Community for the past 21+ years (as a kind of default historian). 😊

I have previously written about the history of Survive, Thrive & Be Fit which kicked off on February 1st, 2010 with our very first ST&BF Gentle Yoga for Cancer Survivors session. Over these past 11+ years we have offered a wide variety of activities that includes the Active Survivors of Sheboygan Team.

I first introduced the Active Survivors of Sheboygan concept in the January, 2013 TLC Supportive Newsletter in an article that also included a story of Jenn Gibbons.

I met Jenn (above) in August of 2012 as she rowed her boat, called “Liv”, around the perimeter of Lake Michigan in a fundraising effort for the organization she founded, Recovery on Water (ROW). After spending a night at the Sheboygan Yacht Club, she graciously allowed me to paddle my kayak alongside her the next morning as she continued on what would turn out to be an unimaginable adventure that represented the worst of mankind and the very best of the human spirit. If you are not familiar with Jenn’s story, I encourage you to view this 13-minute segment created by the Big Ten Network: https://vimeo.com/62385261

Just after sunrise, we headed north for about two hours before I was forced to turn back and return to Sheboygan. Along the way, we discussed our similar passion and enthusiasm for exercise and activity for cancer patients and survivors.

According to its website (www.recoveryonwater.org), “Recovery on Water (ROW) is a rowing team that gives breast cancer patients and survivors the unique opportunity to interact, become active in their recovery, and gain support from their peers.”

Other than the fact that the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund Survive, Thrive & Be Fit (ST&BF) is open to cancer patients and survivors of all types of cancer (not just breast cancer), the same can be said about us. But there is so much more to it.

ST&BF may not have the resources that the Chicago-based ROW has... but, if we did, I could see us creating a video very similar to that on their “About” page that you are encouraged to view here: https://www.recoveryonwater.org/about

But I digress (as I often do)! The reason I mention Jenn is because, as I wrote in the TLC Supportive Newsletter from January, 2013: “It will be a long time before the endearing slogans from Jenn’s row around Lake Michigan will be forgotten! She often quipped about “kicking cancer’s ass!” That became an inspiration for “Active Survivors of Sheboygan” (A.S.S.)! Now it’s time for A.S.S. to do some cancer ass-kicking of our own.”

The Active Survivors of Sheboygan simply allows cancer patients/survivors the opportunity to record their exercise and activity on A.S.S. monthly log sheets and submit them at the end of each month, earning points that may earn them a spot on the A.S.S. Team (and the opportunity to be the very best A.S.S. they can be)! 😊

In the years following our inaugural 2013 A.S.S. Team, our numbers continued to grow. As Janet Sampson, one of our original A.S.S. Team members amusingly pointed out, “The larger A.S.S gets... the smaller mine gets!” 😊

As the team grew, so did the number of activities and opportunities offered by ST&BF. Eventually, I noticed that there were far more survivor-athletes participating in various ST&BF activities than were represented by the number of survivor-athletes on the A.S.S. Team. In 2019, for example, almost 100 area cancer patient-survivors were active in ST&BF while only about one-fourth of those were involved in the A.S.S. Team.

At one point I was considering eliminating the A.S.S. activity logs. But when I mentioned this to our dedicated group, many expressed to me how much they enjoyed the challenge and accountability that these exercise/activity log sheets offer! So... the A.S.S. Team has continued and many of the participants regularly submit their logs (more for their own benefit and well-being than for any recognition for their efforts that I may have intended).

Regretfully, COVID-19 has had an adverse impact on our ST&BF activities since March of 2020. Although we quickly began to switch some of our activities virtually (via Zoom), not all activities are conducive to a virtual format and not all area survivor-athletes have access to this technology. Last spring, summer and fall, when weather conditions and circumstances allowed, we began offering occasional ST&BF POP UP (outdoor) activities with appropriate public health practices (including physical distancing and facial coverings). See next article for more about ST&BF POP UPs.

During these challenging times many of those on the Active Survivors of Sheboygan Team have continued to find ways to “Survive, Thrive & Be Fit” and they have continued to submit their A.S.S. logs, demonstrating that those cancer patients and survivors who choose to make health and fitness a priority by committing to 30-minutes or more per day of exercise/activity each day will find a way to make it happen!

Here are the Basics:

A.S.S. participants record their activity and those who complete 30-minutes or more of exercise/activity 8-11 days of the month earn 1 point, those who do so 12-15 days of the month earn 2 points, those who do so 16-19 days of the month earn 3 points and those who do so 20 or more days of the month earn 5 points for that month. The goal is track how many days each month you exercise 30-minutes or more. And you get to choose the activity and the intensity that you think is best for you as well as when and where (including any ST&BF activities you may participate in).

In March alone, A.S.S. Team Members accumulated 502 days of 30-minutes or more of exercise and since the start of 2021 they have accumulated 1,378 days of 30-minutes or more of exercise (that’s well over 689 hours of activity as 30-minutes marks the minimum... and many A.S.S. Team Members occasionally or regularly engage in far more than the minimum!

This table identifies the current Active Survivors of Sheboygan Team stats:

LEVEL: Olympian (4.0 to 5.0 avg. over most recent 3 mos)

Survivor-Athlete

Months

Cum Pts

3m Avg

Deb Borucki

3

15

5.0

Kathy Burch

3

15

5.0

Bob Hartig

3

15

5.0

Leah Heusterberg

3

15

5.0

Dan Kunda

3

15

5.0

Bev Leonhard

3

15

5.0

Diane Micolyczik

3

15

5.0

Sharon Pentek

3

15

5.0

Tim Renzelmann

3

15

5.0

John Seaman

3

15

5.0

Judy Wallner

3

15

5.0

Cindy Walvoord

3

15

5.0

Rae-Ellen Weber

3

15

5.0

Sue Zalewski

3

15

5.0

Cindy Becker

3

13

4.3

Candy Meyer

3

13

4.3

Linda Ansay

3

12

4.0

LEVEL: Varsity (3.0 to 3.9 avg. over most recent 3 mos)

Survivor-Athlete

Months

Cum Pts

3m Avg

Barb Bogenschutz

3

10

3.3

LEVEL: Junior Varsity (2.0 to 2.9 over most recent 3 mos)

Survivor-Athlete

Months

Cum Pts

3m Avg

NONE

-

-

-

LEVEL: Participant (1.0 to 1.9 over most recent 3 mos.)

Survivor-Athlete

Months

Cum Pts

3m Avg

Judy Kleijunas

3

5

1.7

LEVEL: Training Squad (less than 3 mos participation)

Survivor-Athlete

Months

Cum Pts

3m Avg

Chris Meyer

1

5

n/a

Althea Smith

1

3

n/a

EXPLANATION OF ABOVE TABLE: Months = how many months in 2021 a participant has submitted a log. Cum Pts = how many total points have been earned in 2021. 3m Avg = average points earned over the last three months, which determines a survivor-athletes current status on the A.S.S. Team!

We must remain diligent against this pandemic. Eventually, we will be able to consider more in-person indoor activities. In the meantime, we will continue to focus on virtual activities and outdoor POP UP activities (while following CDC recommendations and guidelines)! And now seems like a good time to focus on the Active Survivors of Sheboygan Team!

The A.S.S. Team is a great way to join with others in a common effort! It is a great way to show your support for your fellow A.S.S. Team Members! It is a great way to demonstrate a commitment to your own health, fitness and well-being! And it is a great way to recognize the efforts and accomplishments of your fellow A.S.S. Team Members!

If your name is not listed above... now is the time! See the attached Active Survivors of Sheboygan March/April log sheet, start recording your exercise and activities and submit them! In just three short months you can become the very best A.S.S. that you can be... all the way up to an Olympian-level A.S.S.! 😊

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