History of Team Survivor Northwest
The story of Team Survivor began in 1995 with a group of women cancer survivors training for a triathlon. The women asked local oncologist, Dr. Julie Gralow to serve as their team physician, which she did. Not only was she inspired by the their tenacity and strength, she was amazed at the incredible physical and psychological benefits the women gained through the training.
During the training process, Dr. Gralow and Lisa Talbott met many women cancer survivors in the Seattle area who wanted to exercise and improve their overall fitness, but needed additional support. Dr. Gralow and Lisa decided to create an organization that would offer year-round fitness opportunities for all women cancer survivors. With assistance from the University of Washington Cancer Center, they founded Team Survivor Northwest.
Team Survivor is now a national organization with affiliates around the country. Thousands of women cancer survivors have participated in the fitness and health education programs offered by the Team Survivor affiliates. Team Survivor programs are open to ALL women with a past or present diagnosis of cancer. Members range in age from twenty to eighty. Participants are as varied as the activities they enjoy, but they are all bound by the common desire to take an active role in their physical and emotional healing and well-being.
As Team Survivor Northwest co-founder and Medical Advisory Board co-chair, Dr. Julie Gralow has found through her oncology practice and research, "Engaging in regular physical activity is the single most valuable thing a cancer survivor can do to rebuild both physical and emotional strength." Team Survivor aims to provide the opportunities women cancer survivors need to incorporate fitness into their lives within a supportive and fun environment.
