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Prof. Katherine Harman used rowing to help her recover from cancer. (Nick Pearce Photo)

In rowing terms, 鈥渞ecovery鈥� describes a part of the stroke cycle. For Katherine Harman, a rower, it also means coming back from a聽 brush with cancer.

The year she turned 50 didn鈥檛 really start out that well. The associate professor of physiotherapy and assistant dean for the Faculty of Health Professions was diagnosed with breast cancer in November and had a mastectomy of her left breast in January.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really stressful,聽 a cancer diagnosis threatens your whole being,鈥� reflects Dr. Harman during a recent interview. 鈥淗aving just turned 50 I was thinking I wouldn鈥檛 have to face this whole mortality thing for another few decades 鈥� It makes you wonder how much longer you have and what you can do about it.鈥�

Although she鈥檚 been athletic all her life, Dr. Harman became a rower only a few years ago. After her surgery, she threw herself into a training regime to prepare for the summer rowing season. 鈥淔or six weeks afterwards, I was not allowed to use my arm, so I did my training one handed 鈥� it was definitely my major coping strategy.鈥�

All that training and focus paid off for Dr. Harman when she won her masters event (women鈥檚 single in the age category 鈥楧鈥� or over 50) at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, a prestigious national competition now in its 127th year. But what is truly remarkable is that her time of three minutes, 58 seconds made her the fastest woman single sculler of any age category on the water that day.

鈥淚 could hear my name being called and lots of cheers as I was approaching the finish,鈥� says Dr. Harman, who was four seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. 鈥淚t was just the greatest feeling 鈥� and breaking four minutes is just amazing.鈥�

Without the regimen of rowing daily, the encouragement of her coach and rowing partner, Dr. Harman doesn鈥檛 think she would have recovered nearly so well from her surgery. Rowing provides a total body workout with the legs, back and arms engaged in the process of making each stroke. While considered a low-impact sport with no body contact or jarring of the joints, it improves both strength and cardiovascular performance.

It鈥檚 also a sport for the soul, she adds. She begins each day at 5:30 a.m. on the North-West Arm of Halifax Harbour just before the sun rises over Point Pleasant Park. As she propels the boat swiftly across the water, she delights in watching the osprey dive for fish and looks for the seals that sometimes swim alongside. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful way to start each day,鈥� she says.

She shares her love of the sport by running an adaptive rowing program out of Halifax Rowing Club, coaching three athletes with disabilities.聽

It鈥檚 been a busy summer of recovery for Katherine, as in addition to rowing, she hiked in the Honduran jungle with her 18 year old daughter (student at 鲍鱼tv) to climb Mount Pichucha, and has just come back from a cycle tour of the Cabot Trail.聽 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 pretty cool you can do these things when you鈥檙e 50,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy to be as well as I am at this age.鈥�

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