It didn't take a pandemic for me to KNOW how important Team Survivor has been for me over the last 12 years but it UNDERSCORED this truth. I have been an active member of Survivor Sake's Dragon Boat team since 2008 and I could write volumes about the positive, inspirational impact on my life. But NOT having my team (really my FAMILY), as we all were pushed off the water by this virus, made me appreciate TSNW even more. Survivors of Cancer of all kinds, we know how to stave off the threat of a "nasty" assailant, but never have I missed the emotional support that the team provides so much. TSNW is an amazing program that GIVES so much and should be applauded for all they do to create stronger women. Thank you TSNW!
Jill Landback
Team Survivor has been a godsend for me. I was diagnosed with a very odd cancer in 2012. I went through treatment and was looking for a way to get my strength back. I attended a free fitness class at Swedish Hospital in Issaquah. Little did I know I would meet some of the most incredible, caring, strong women in the world. I’ve been attending every Monday possible ever since. Classes are now online through Zoom until our lives can get back to normal. TSNW is a wonderful supportive group that offers so many possibilities for moving on from cancer and becoming a strong positive Survivor. The women I have met have become wonderful friends who are always there for each other.
After treatment, I was told to go exercise and found TSNW through one of their trainers (Toshiko, who is an amazing person/trainer). It was life changing for me as I lost weight I was told to, gained strength and found people who understood what I was going through. I cannot thank this organization enough for bringing me back to “me” again so the least I can do is to contribute in ways that I can.
Team Survivor Northwest is an amazing organization. They offer so much to Women in all stages of cancer treatments. A way to stay in shape, get in shape, meet others experiencing the same challenges and victories and make friends.
I have been actively participating in their fitness classes for the past two years, which has been a great way to get back in shape after cancer treatments. After In person classes were paused due to COVID-19, Team Survivor started offering Zoom fitness classes. I’m now taking 6 of these classes each week. In addition to greatly increasing my strength and stamina from these classes, they’re also a great way to keep busy and distracted from all that’s going on, as well as keep in touch with my team survivor fitness class friends.
They are truly a Great Non Profit and well deserving of this distinction,
Life-changer, really! My oncologist said go to Team Survivor. I went.
Connected with a wonderful group of women and an star instructor, really got my strength back, along with an endurance that enabled me to do physical contract work. I kept up with younger workers at convention center jobs and gig assignments. Couldn't have done with out the Active Women Health Women workouts and strength training.
TSNW gave me a new life. Totally grateful.
Connie Winkler
Team Survivor has been a great partner in my recovery from extremely aggressive non Hodgkins Lymphoma. After six years of treatment and two stem cell transplants, I was as weak as a puppy. I slowly began building strength through easier programs and then graduated to more difficult. They've been with me along the way, encouraging and making classes super accessible. When COVID hit and everything was closed down, all programs moved online in one form or another and now I can take even more classes right in my living room, ensuring I don't lose my momentum when meeting in groups is not possible. I would not be where I am today without this great organization. I love the all-female workouts as I don't feel self conscious and the community of cancer survivors who are thriving is inspiring. They are essential to recovering and being strong for whatever the future holds.
The best thing about getting stage 3 cancer was that it qualified me to join a very special group of women in this exercise club for cancer survivors! I started with two community-based exercise classes, and then graduated, as I recovered, to hiking on Mount Rainier and going to dragon boat practices and competitions in sun, rain, hail, and snow! This group of women is so supportive, and they accept you no matter your race, religion, health status, sexuality, etc. They're there for you and are amazing people. They are so inspirational, and have a can do attitude to do some pretty amazing things! TSNW has truly made my life better.
Nobody asks for that, life changing cancer diagnosis. But there you are, and now what do you do? More and more research shows that exercise plays a key role in keeping cancer away. If you have breast cancer, you will be bombarded by one surgeon after another, trying to convince you that what you REALLY need is breast surgery - as many as they can convince you to get. What you really need is to get through the treatment(s) and surgery(ies) that are needed and then get MOVING. Team Survivor Northwest is there for women, helping them to get moving at all levels. When Covid hit, they were one of the first to start offering online exercise classes. I found an exercise instructor that I would not have gone to, because she was a bit far away. But she's amazing, and knows so much about helping women who have had cancer get back in shape. I cannot recommend this organization more highly. They not only provide opportunities for exercise but also support from other women which is key to being as healthy as we can be.
I got to speak at the Team Survivor Northwest weekend retreat in January 2020 and it was the most incredible event. The energy of the audience, the gorgeous location on Bainbridge Island, and the delicious and healthy food they served made it all feel so special. It's no wonder that this event sells out quickly; it is really high quality and empowering. One thing I noticed in particular is that it was really well run and organized. The leadership has really great communication. They are so easy to work with and very kind. This group really lives its mission and helps so many survivors live more healthful and happy lives. Highly recommend!
Absolutely loving TSNW’s Zoom Du-Athelon training as an alternative to ‘in person’ which is unavailable this year!
Not only am I able to participate, we are allowed to completely tailor our goals to meet our abilities... which are ever changing as survivors.
Coach Denise is awesome! She helps by having us send in videos of ourselves doing the activity we need help with, or guidance to correct, takes time to evaluate and make suggestions, and follows up with email checks. A truly committed TSNW coach!
The up side is I’m walking more fluidly and upright from the 3x a week Zoom warm up exercises lead by Coach Denise, I actually tried to skip yesterday, I’m walking up hill(which I wasn’t able to before), and my times and endurance are improving weekly!
This is a wonderful, empowering, supportive activity put on by Team Survivor in Seattle.
Truly appreciated and anticipated!
"Join Team Survivor Northwest!" is the first advice I give to female friends who are newly diagnosed with cancer. It's an organization that meets you at your level of fitness, no matter what that might be. There are numerous activities and everyone is very welcoming and encouraging. The focus is on fitness and health and getting our lives back. My Wednesday mid-week hikes are so important to my physical and mental health that I have arranged with work to be off every Wednesday. The annual retreats are a time to reconnect and be inspired and just have fun. As others have said, this organization is the silver lining to a cancer diagnosis.
The best thing that came out of going through my journey around cancer is finding and participating in the Team Survivor NW Hiking Group that meets once a week for 6 months out of the year. It has been healing for me these past 5 years to be out in nature, stretching my lungs and legs, breathing in the beauty of the wild and its fresh air while being with women who have gone through the experience of facing one's mortality in a real and raw way.
The group is very well organized, and the team spirit has made hiking in so many beautiful trails both safe and accessible for me. When it comes time to start up hiking in the spring after our winter hiatus, I am reminded that this group is one of the important tribes in my life that I am a part of, and there is a feeling of coming home.
This is a great organization, making active programs available to cancer survivors! I joined them this year - loved the mid-week hiking group. The members I've met have been very welcoming and I've been grateful for the camaraderie of fellow survivors. Thanks Team Survivor NW!!
Team Survivor NW has been life changing...Getting a cancer diagnosis was the negative and TSNW was the positive that helped me get through treatment and beyond. Through the Active Women/Healthy Women classes and hiking, I was able to summit heights that I never thought possible, even before diagnosis. I am grateful for this strong and dedicated group of women survivors and trainers, the expertise and training, and the opportunity to push myself further than I thought.
I am a Team Survivor NW member and have been participating with the midweek hike group for two years. As a two time ovarian cancer survivor, this is better than any support group I've ever attended. The sisterhood of cancer warriors is a powerful thing.
I joined Team Survivor 9 years ago right out of treatment. I had no idea what I could safely do with Lymphedema. I came so that I could figure out how to recover from treatment and how to live with my changed body. I am still part of Team Survivor and hope to be here for another 10 or 20 years. This is the most welcoming and supportive group of women you could imagine. You come for the fitness programs and don't imagine the incredible support and hope you receive from the other women. After a couple of years I joined the Dragon Boat team and as one member says, "It was almost worth getting cancer to be on this team with this group of women." I cannot describe the value of seeing 20 year survivors living full lives and staying fit and in better shape than most women their age. I serve on the board so that I can pay it forward to other women.
TSNW is like no other Cancer support group. You might come for the exercise programs while you are in treatment, just out of treatment, or a long time out of treatment but you'll stay for much more. You will get a great workout geared towards your current level and/or maybe enjoy one of the outdoor programs or the annual retreat. You might climb a mountain when you've never hiked before, maybe you'll lead others, or maybe you will walk or paddle side by side with someone encouraging you to keep on. But on top of that you will find you are enjoying the company of amazing women who have been through so much while they share their joy of becoming their new "best selves".
I have been diagnosed and treated for cancer three times in my life. I generally shy away from "support groups" for various reasons. However, what I found in Team Survivor Northwest was an amazing group of women who find a way to move forward in their life despite their cancer diagnosis. The women are in various phases of their treatment and recovery. (For some of the women their cancer diagnosis and treatment was many years ago.) What Team Survivor NW provides are numerous activities and programs that help women find joy and support as they strive for active and healthy living. It has helped me find a way forward, with your support you can help other women find the way forward as well.
I love TSNW; the programs they support, and the camaraderie I have found in the midst of other brave Survivors was unexpected and unparallel. The Mountaineering group trained for months for their 2019 seasonal goal and with this particular group, I did something I never thought I would ever be capable of, much less after 15 rounds of Chemo, a double lumpectomy, and 30 doses of radiation: I summited Mt Adams. I am so grateful for the renewed confidence in my body's wisdom and strength, and the precious Hope I derived from that... to carry on.
I have had a wonderful experience with team survivor. About 2 months out of my mastectomy, I wen to a workout class that was the perfect level for me. A year later I spent a bunch of Wednesdays hiking with a supportive, friendly group of people. This summer I have been in training for a triathlon with another great group of women. Everyone is completely supportive and helping me to understand how to do one. I have wanted to do a triathlon for years and this was the perfect opportunity to do it with a team of amazing women. Wherever you are at on your journey, you will find a supportive, caring environment for a level that is right for you.
Team Survivor Northwest has been a spark in my life. I only wished that I had learned about it sooner - could have been a charter member. But I only learned about it in my oncologist office when I was dealing with my third cancer. I saw a brochure with a dragon boat on the front. I called the number on the brochure and became a dragon boat paddler. It changed my life. Suddenly I had a group of 30 new sisters (almost made it worth getting cancer!). Dragon boating led me to other fitness activities. I had never been much for exercise and I had never been an athlete. Nine years later I am the healthiest I have ever been - all due to TSNW - not too bad for an octogenarian! Thanks TSNW for a healthy better me! Judy Wolcott
As a young breast cancer cancer survivor, I had a hard time post treatment; raising young children, dealing with menopause at age 40 (hot flashes every day for 8 years and still ongoing!), slow and steady weight gain plus working full time made it difficult to find time, energy and motivation to exercise and take care of myself.
I heard about the annual retreat TSNW offers female survivors in the NW and signed up with a few fellow young survivors. It was an amazing experience and opened my eyes to all the fun and free activities TSNW offers. I attended the retreat again this Winter and was inspired to sign up to train for and complete their Mt Adams climb. The training was so fun as I got to know my teammates and I was getting myself back in shape without even realizing it. The training was hard at times, as the packs got heavier, but with the support of my fellow climbers and the TSNW volunteer hike leaders, we all got stronger and ready for the big climb in late July of this year. I’m proud to say that I summited Mt Adams with my teammates but I’m more transformed from the entire experience- all the training hikes this Spring as well as the awesome 4 day adventure of thefull climb. I feel strong and healthy and I owe much of that to TSNW for providing this amazing opportunity. This is a stellar nonprofit and I’m proud to be a member and look forward to encouraging next year’s climbers as they train and prepare.
I am a female cancer survivor. During the time of my cancer treatment, I sought out support groups. The groups I found were quite negative and full of gloom and doom. And then I went on a walk with the Team Survivor Group. What an amazing group of positive upbeat supportive women! This group of women helped get me through the toughest time of my life with their camaraderie, positivism, support, and educational opportunities. Now that I am past my cancer treatment, I am enjoying paying it back, by helping out the organization financially and also as a volunteer. I see many members who benefit greatly just as I did, and I am very happy to be part of their cancer recovery journey.
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Team Survivor Northwest is a fabulous organization. They provide physical activities for women going through cancer recovery. These activities are facilitated by caring leaders, and are paced appropriately for the group. Members of the organization truly care about the participants, but it is not a pity party. Instead, the focus is on empowerment and health. This is a very upbeat positive organization with lots of options to choose from!
I love being active in TSNW. I have joined two sub-groups: Dragon Boat Racing & Mid-Week Hiking. In general, we are a very optimistic group, focusing on our strengths (rather than complaining about our past or present cancer). The women I've met through TS, are incredibly supportive and fun. Team Survivor takes care to make sure safety and having fun go hand-in-hand at every event; I feel safe physically & emotionally.
TSNW is the silver lining following a cancer diagnosis. This is a group of “can do” cancer survivors. These amazing women know what it means to persist through fear, trauma, pain and suffering. So, they don’t sweat the small stuff but focus on enjoying life to its fullest! I’m so happy to be part of such a positive organization.
I am a cancer survivor who has benefited greatly from this organization. Their priority is getting women cancer survivors into healthy activities that meet their personal needs. TSNW achieves this in the very best way with a huge variety of offerings and fun events, at little or no cost to members. The access to the great outdoors through the midday hiking group has made a world of difference in my life and the camaraderie of being with other survivors in various endeavors and learning from them is huge. I love this organization!!
I've enjoyed creating friendships while staying physically active in Team Survivor Northwest programs since 2012: Active Woman Healthy Woman, Walk with Friends, Snowshoeing, Biking and Hiking!
The hiking program wit the north west cancer group is so well organized. Hiking with cancer survivors is just really inspiring.
Team Survivor Northwest is an organization that changes lives. When I was diagnosed with cancer all I wanted to do was to figure out how to survive. My oncologist shared with me that one of the most important things I could do for myself was to exercise to improve my quality of life and prevent recurrence. I was thrilled when I found TSNW - a place where I could become active during and after chemo in a safe and secure space surrounded by other women experiencing a similar challenge. TSNW helped me get back on my feet after my diagnosis. I was fragile, weak and scared, but with TSNW’s help I was able to heal. More than 15 years later I am still thriving while surviving thanks to TSNW and its amazing and committed staff.
Team Survivor is awesome. When my wife emerged from her treatment, Team Survivor was there to embrace her and help her back to find her physical health. It provides an invaluable service to women who are seeking to find their wholeness during and after cancer.
Team Survivor Northwest gave me back a part of my life I never thought I would get back after cancer. I am a marathon runner and have been very active all of my adult life. I thought that was over after cancer. TSNW gave me the support and the programs to find my athletic self again. I climbed Mt St Helens (though I'd not been a hiker before joining TSNW) and am now on the Dragon Boat team. I want as many women who have or have had cancer in the Seattle area to be able to experience the amazing programs and support that TSNW has to offer!
The Mt St Helens summer hiking training started out, for me, as a way to get back out there after a summer of heavy treatments the year before and set some personal goals for myself to reclaim my body. But I got so much more from the amazing women I met and hiked with and it became a group goal and group effort and I felt part of a team, with so much love and support from other cancer survivors who were focused on positive, active living. What a gift this organization turned out to be! I was encouraged, empowered and gained so much from this group. I love everything TSNW stands for and am so proud and humbled to be part of this organization and the women who make it so incredible
Team Survivor Northwest is an incredible organization for people like me living with cancer. More than an exercise group and more than a support group, TSNW organizes natural opportunities to have fun with other survivors while participating in activities, at all levels, that has been scientifically demonstrated to improve outcomes for those touched by cancer. I feel truly blessed by this organization and all the women I have met through TSNW.
This is an amazing organization that helps female cancer survivors get out and exercise in a variety of pursuits. I have done triathlon training, mountain climbing, dragon boating and hiking with them. My passion is hiking and thanks to this organization, I have an incredible group of inspirational women to hike with on a weekly basis from spring to fall. We support each other and provide resources to those who are going through treatment. I love these women!
