'Mermaids' find strength in water after breast cancer

They call themselves “The Mermaids.”

Even though a couple of them had a distinct fear of the water.

“I don't need to be afraid of the water anymore,” said breast cancer survivor Varnesta Major. “I'm tired of being afraid. When you're diagnosed with cancer, you lose – I lost both of my breasts to the cancer.

“It was a fear, and I was tired of being afraid. So that's just another milestone in my life. I’m trying to conquer the fear of water.”

Major and her fellow mermaids found themselves in the water as part of Survivors’ Fit Club, a program for breast cancer survivors offered through the MUSC Wellness Center and funded by donations to MUSC Hollings Cancer Center from local nonprofit Racquets for Recovery.

“It was a fear, and I was tired of being afraid. So that's just another milestone in my life. I’m trying to conquer the fear of water.”

Varnesta Major
breast cancer survivor

Survivors’ Fit Club was founded in 2016, but the water component is new. It was recently added under the direction of Kathleen Wilson, master swim instructor at the Wellness Center.

“The Survivors’ Fit Club incorporated a lot of land elements. And I said to myself, the water would be great. And Tatiana (Baier, fit club program director) felt the same way. So between the two of us, we incorporated a water element, kind of a water aerobics-type class, and the ladies enjoyed it very, very much. So it has become an integral part of the fit club,” Wilson said.

Water has a lot of advantages for exercise, especially for those recovering from the physical effects of surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.

Cancer survivors might have problems with balance or their joints, for example. The buoyancy and resistance of the water can provide an effective and enjoyable exercise experience.

That was what happened for Shelia Marie Hood.

“When I came here, I had no balance. Even when we started out with machines, I was a little leery of doing the exercises because of my balance,” she said. “But after the swimming lessons and being in the pool with Kathleen, I have no problem with balance.”

Major agreed.

“The water helps you … whereas, if I were to do some of these exercises myself, I know I probably would have toppled over, or I'd probably fall. But the water helps you to balance yourself,” she said. “And also, it feels really good, especially with the hands, with the stiffness. It helps with the stiffness of the legs and stiffness of the hands. Also, I was having spasms in my back and my side, and it helped with that.”

Wilson has extensive experience in the water. She’s a marathon swimmer who’s swum across the English Channel, the Sea of Galilee and the Strait of Gibraltar. Someone with that type of experience might seem to have nothing in common with a person who’s afraid to put her face in the water, but Wilson uses the challenges she faces to connect with the fit club members.

“I'm able to take the characteristics that I need in my sport, which is marathon swimming: Many hours in the water. The unknown. What's going to be out there? What's going to happen to me? And I can bring that to their level and have a much deeper appreciation as to what they have gone through and what their journey might entail. So when a participant says, ‘Well, I'm a little afraid of doing this, or my balance won't allow this, or my strength won't allow it,’ I have a much better understanding and can help them using the experiences that I've had.”

"These ladies all share a bond in that they have gone through a very harsh treatment. So they understand each other, and they get in the water, and it's as much work as it is social."

Kathleen Wilson
master swim instructor

Along with encouragement and support, the program offers camaraderie.

“These ladies all share a bond in that they have gone through a very harsh treatment,” Wilson said. “So they understand each other, and they get in the water, and it's as much work as it is social. We talk the entire time and share stories as we work, which is a great element of the program.”

The program lasts for 10 weeks and focuses on exercise, nutrition and behavior change. Participants have a chance to try boxing, yogic breathing, pickleball, stationary cycling, dance classes and weight machines. They also get personalized nutrition advice and guidance on practicing mindfulness. It has been so successful for breast cancer survivors that Hollings and the Wellness Center are now collaborating on a pilot program geared toward prostate cancer survivors.

Hood, who has gone from a fear of the water to putting her face underwater and opening her eyes, appreciated the personalized focus.

“Kathleen studies her class, so she knows what we need before we know what we need,” she said. “We never wanted to stop the water aerobics class.”

Their enthusiasm for this new component inspired them to take on the name “The Mermaids.”

Cancer is not a journey to undertake alone, the women said.

“I believe in God. I have a lot of faith and huge family support,” Major said. “And being in the program, I've met new friends. Sheila, Sabina and Kai are very supportive. So I thank God that he allowed all of us to cross each other's paths because they will forever be my friends.”

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