Survivor Rowing Club New Orleans

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Survivor Rowing Club New Orleans Survivor Rowing Club is a New Orleans community for breast cancer survivors. We provide strength, friendship, and healing through rowing and movement. 🌊💗

💗 HOCR SPOTLIGHT | BOW PAIRMeet Patty Willhite (2) and Gwen Taylor (1), our incredible bow pair! These two have the impo...
10/13/2026

💗 HOCR SPOTLIGHT | BOW PAIR

Meet Patty Willhite (2) and Gwen Taylor (1), our incredible bow pair! These two have the important job of helping keep the boat balanced, connected, and moving in the right direction. And we couldn’t ask for a better duo to round out our eight! 💪

🚣‍♀️ Patty McArthur Willhite
If there’s anyone who proves it’s never too late to redefine what’s possible, it’s Patty! After overcoming breast cancer, Patty took up rowing last year and has become an absolute powerhouse of an athlete. You’d never believe she’s in her 70s watching her crush workouts and break indoor rowing records 🏆 Not only is Patty an amazing rower, but she’s also the ONLY athlete on our competitive team who hasn’t missed a single HOCR training session! Always one of the first to arrive, ready to work, and bringing her contagious positivity, Patty gives 100% every single time. Her dedication, determination, and refusal to let anything limit what’s possible inspire everyone around her. We couldn’t be luckier to have her in our boat! 💗

🚣‍♀️ Gwendolyn Denise Calais Taylor
Small but MIGHTY! Our beloved GwENGINE is returning to the Charles for her second year, bringing experience, strength, and a whole lot of heart to the bow seat. Don’t let her size fool you. Gwen puts everything she’s got into every stroke! With an incredible awareness of what’s happening throughout the boat, she’s our eyes in the bow, helping execute the coxswain’s calls, maintain balance, and keep the crew moving together as one. Her strength, inspiring story, and of course, her impeccable style 💁🏾‍♀️ have touched so many, and we couldn’t imagine this crew without our GwENGINE! 💕

These two women are proof that strength comes in all shapes, sizes, and ages. What a way to round out our eight!

Let’s hear it for our bow pair! 👏💗

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💗 HOCR CREW SPOTLIGHT | 3 & 4 SEATMeet Karen Blessey (4) and Nancy Falgoust (3), our dynamic duo! These two are so perfe...
10/13/2026

💗 HOCR CREW SPOTLIGHT | 3 & 4 SEAT

Meet Karen Blessey (4) and Nancy Falgoust (3), our dynamic duo! These two are so perfectly matched that you could swap their seats and barely notice the difference. Together, they complete our powerhouse middle four and help set the rhythm for the bow four! 💪

🚣‍♀️ Karen Busenlener Blessey
The woman who started it all! Karen is the founder of Survivor Rowing Club, and without her vision (and a little bit of crazy!), none of us would be here. A returning HOCR racer and one of the most experienced rowers in the boat, Karen is an absolute force. Her relentless drive, passion, and determination to push boundaries and challenge what’s possible are what brought this club to life, and she brings that same unstoppable energy to every stroke. There’s simply no stopping Karen! 💗

🚣‍♀️ Nancy Falgoust
After attending HOCR as an alternate last year, Nancy is ready to put all that hard work into action in her first race on the Charles! Nancy is thoughtful, precise, and incredibly coachable, bringing a steady, reliable presence to the boat. She’s made huge strides this season, finding new power, confidence, and rhythm with every practice. Her attention to detail, willingness to learn, and team-first attitude make her a perfect fit in the three seat, helping keep the bow four connected and moving together.

Two incredible women, one perfectly matched pair! We can’t wait to see this dynamic duo take on the Charles this Saturday! 💕

Let’s hear it for our 3 & 4 seat! 👏

💗 HOCR CREW SPOTLIGHT | 5 & 6 SEATMeet Allison Durant (6) and Kristen Chawla (5), bringing the power and consistency to ...
10/13/2026

💗 HOCR CREW SPOTLIGHT | 5 & 6 SEAT

Meet Allison Durant (6) and Kristen Chawla (5), bringing the power and consistency to the engine room of our boat! 💪

🚣‍♀️ Allison Lindsey Durant
Long, strong, and powerful, Allison has more than earned her seat in the engine room! A returning Head of the Charles racer, she’s made incredible progress this season and would definitely get our vote for Most Improved. But Allison brings more than just power to the boat. She’s our ultimate hype woman, always finding a way to lift everyone’s spirits, bring the energy, and turn even the toughest practices into a good time.

🚣‍♀️ Kristen Calonico Chawla
After cheering on the crew as an alternate at HOCR last year, Kristen is taking her place in the racing lineup this year! Kristen is our unifier, both in the boat and throughout the club. Smooth, steady, calm, and collected, she’s as dependable as they come, bringing consistency to every stroke and a positive, can-do attitude to everything she does. Her passion for rowing and genuine kindness make everyone around her better. She’s the perfect five seat to help bring eight rowers together as one!

Power, positivity, and consistency. These two bring something special to the middle of our eight, and we can’t wait to see them take on the Charles this Saturday! 💕

Let’s hear it for our 5 & 6 seat! 👏

HOCR2026

💗 HOCR CREW SPOTLIGHT | STERN PAIRMeet Mari-Ann Roberson (8) and Emily Dodart (7)!Believe it or not, these two are the n...
10/12/2026

💗 HOCR CREW SPOTLIGHT | STERN PAIR

Meet Mari-Ann Roberson (8) and Emily Dodart (7)!

Believe it or not, these two are the newest rowers in the boat! Both learned to row on the erg less than a year ago and took their very first strokes on the water just this summer. 🤯

Fast forward a few months, and not only are they keeping up with our competitive crew, they’ve earned their seats in the stern pair, literally leading the boat!

These two incredible athletes have blown us away with their drive, determination, coachability, and willingness to put in the work. They push themselves, elevate their teammates, and bring so much to this crew both on and off the water.

We couldn’t be more proud of how far they’ve come in such a short time, and we can’t wait to see where this sport takes them next…but first, BOSTON 🫡🔥

Drop some love in the comments for our incredible stern pair! 💪💗

📣 MEET YOUR 2026 HEAD OF THE CHARLES CREW! 💗🚣‍♀️The countdown is on! In just over a week, these incredible women will be...
10/09/2026

📣 MEET YOUR 2026 HEAD OF THE CHARLES CREW! 💗🚣‍♀️

The countdown is on! In just over a week, these incredible women will be representing Survivor Rowing Club on the Charles River in Boston, and we can’t wait to cheer them on!

RACE DAY:

📅 Saturday, October 17
🚣‍♀️ Head Of The Charles Regatta | Event #43: Survivor Row Exhibition
⏰ 2:44 PM CST / 3:44 PM EST

MEET THE CREW:

Coxswain: Alaina Krom
8: Mari-Ann Roberson
7: Emily Dodart
6: Allison Durant
5: Kristen Chawla
4: Karen Blessey
3: Nancy Falgoust
2: Patty Wilhite
1: Gwen Taylor

Alternates: Shannon Orgeron, Dollie Gill, Suzette Doucet & Catherine Koppel

Coach: Hannah Huppi

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT:

🎥 Watch from anywhere! Catch the livestream and follow race results by scanning the QR codes in the slides. You can also download the HOCR app (search “HOCR” in the App Store) for live race tracking!

🍕 Join the NOLA watch party! We’ll be cheering on the crew at NOLA Brewing Co. on October 17 from 2-4 PM. Throw on some pink and come join the fun!

🙏 Power the team with a donation or gift! Your support helps fund equipment, coaching, and programs that get more breast cancer survivors moving, building strength, and rowing together. Donate through the link in our bio or DM us to learn about other ways to give, including gifts in honor of a loved one.

And stay tuned! We’ll be featuring our athletes as we count down to race day, sharing a little more about the amazing women behind the oars.

BIG news on the bayou! Our fleet is growing! 📣🥰🚣‍♀️We’re thrilled to welcome TWO new 8s to our bayou fleet, generously d...
10/09/2026

BIG news on the bayou! Our fleet is growing! 📣🥰🚣‍♀️

We’re thrilled to welcome TWO new 8s to our bayou fleet, generously donated by Capital City Rowing and delivered all the way to NOLA by Johnathan Richards! 🙏💗

Over the past few weeks, our incredible Bosun, D, has dedicated countless hours to getting these boats ready for the water, outfitting them with new shoes, footplates, and wiring. After a few final touches yesterday, they were officially ready for their maiden voyages on the bayou!

Our Head of the Charles crew had the honor of taking the VESPOLI Racing Shells 8+ out for its first spin and gave it two thumbs up! 🤩🙌

And the best part? These boats mean more opportunities to get more survivors on the water! 💗 We can’t wait to put them to work in our Learn to Row program, introducing more women to the strength, community, and incredible benefits that rowing has to offer.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. Every addition to our fleet helps us grow our programs, expand our reach, and empower more breast cancer survivors through rowing.

A little peek at the last 5 weeks as our competitive team prepares for racing season 👀💗These athletes have been putting ...
09/21/2026

A little peek at the last 5 weeks as our competitive team prepares for racing season 👀💗

These athletes have been putting in the work, and we’re so proud of the progress they’ve made!

Less than 4 weeks until showtime at Head Of The Charles Regatta! 🚣‍♀️💪

Our last, but most certainly not least, “Power 30” athlete spotlight! 💗💗Meet Gwen, aka “Gwengine”: dedicated nurse, devo...
07/01/2026

Our last, but most certainly not least, “Power 30” athlete spotlight! 💗💗
Meet Gwen, aka “Gwengine”: dedicated nurse, devoted mom, and the woman behind the shark fin sightings on the bayou. 🦈🚣‍♀️
Gwen joined SRC in February 2025 with zero rowing experience, the closest she’d come to rowing before was “It’s a Small World” at Disney. She was feeling stressed and unmotivated, and a friend suggested she give rowing a try. She’s been an SRC staple ever since.
She’s the teammate everyone wants as a partner, quick-witted, always good for a laugh, and fully present. Outside the boat, she pours that same energy into her patients as a nurse and into her boys.
We are so lucky to have Gwen in our crew!💗
Today is the last day of our June fundraiser, so it’s time to get to donating!
If her story moved you, help us continue this grow SRC for the next survivor who needs this community. Donate through the link in our bio. 📲

Looking back at these photos from our boat christening, we’re reminded that rowing isn’t just about perfect strokes. It’...
06/17/2026

Looking back at these photos from our boat christening, we’re reminded that rowing isn’t just about perfect strokes. It’s about friendship, joy, resilience, and occasionally being the loudest people on the bayou. 😏

Meet Danielle: a mom, a wife, and a “relentlessly positive human,” according to one of her teammates. She’s new to Survi...
06/14/2026

Meet Danielle: a mom, a wife, and a “relentlessly positive human,” according to one of her teammates. She’s new to Survivor Rowing Club but greets every single practice with a huge smile, a generous spirit, and phenomenal strength. 🥰

Danielle has faced breast cancer four times, including a diagnosis at 36 weeks pregnant. While she’s living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, her medical history does not define her. She’s an amazing athlete who shows up consistently and leads others by example. 💗

At SRC practices, she says, “we work as a collective unit, chase goals, and prove to ourselves that breast cancer does not limit what we are capable of doing.” 💪

Show Danielle and her SRC teammates some love by donating to her link in our bio, or sharing her story!  📲

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