I have never been a team sports kind of girl. In fact, in grade school, junior high and high school, I was more the “OK, we’ll take her on our team if you give us your two best players” sort of girl. But lots of things changed after my breast cancer diagnosis at the end of the summer of 2008.

Between my bilateral mastectomy, five months of chemo, five weeks of radiation, surgeries and clinical trial, I finished treatment in late 2009. One thing that remained of paramount importance to me throughout my treatment was to take control of what I could while my body was being bombarded in ways that even now seem unreal. I’d always been an avid exerciser, but after my first surgery, I felt unsure that what I was doing was right for my “new” body. Was I hurting myself as I tried to get my strength back? Was I supposed to be giving it my all, or did I have to be more careful now? Did I have to change my definition of a good workout?

After Donna gave me the go-ahead, I started practicing with the team. In addition to the exhilaration of being on the water, knowing that the workout I was doing was completely safe was a wonderful comfort. And the workout itself was great: challenging but doable – opening up the channels for me to increase the intensity of my other workouts as my strength returned.

In addition to all that knowledge and power, an unexpected gift of Empire for me is being part of the team. Knowing that, even as I am pushing myself to my limit, I am part of a team with other women who have gone through what I have is inspiring beyond what I ever expected. When one of us is feeling exhausted or challenged, the rest of the team is there to pick up the slack. When we succeed, we know that it is because each one of us has contributed to her best ability, to accomplish our goal together. And that is something this former “give us your best players for her” sort of girl is relishing for the first time.