Six weeks before departing for the 2004 Olympic Games where he would win a gold medal in the men’s eight, coxswain Pete Cipollone was diagnosed with stage one melanoma on his forearm. Before departing for the Games, he had two surgeries; the second one leaving him with more than 60 stitches.

Pete, now a spokesperson for the National Center for Skin Cancer Prevention, says, “Rowers spend hours each day in the sun, often without shirts or hats. I want all athletes to understand that skin cancer can hit you even when you are young and in great shape.”

Pete now appears on a nationally distributed poster creating awareness about athletes and skin cancer; readers may have seen it on display at the Head of the Charles. 

Skin cancer is a major killer in the U.S. and the number of skin cancer related deaths is growing at an alarming rate. Typical rowing hours are not during the time of day when the sun is doing its most damage, but have you ever been burned on a long weekend row or at a regatta? Rowing is just another part of your life where you are putting your skin at risk.  

Glare from the water magnifies the intensity of the sun, and you need to protect not only your skin but also your eyes. Wearing sunglasses that block 99-100 percent of UVA and UVB rays even on overcast days will help protect your eyes from sun damage. 

The links below, which are also on our safety page, will show you the UV Index for your zip code and give you more information about the risk of outdoor activities and skin cancer. This information is provided by the EPA and is part of their SunWise Program. We encourage you to go to the SunWise page and learn more about skin cancer and how to avoid it.

http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html (UV Index for Your Zip Code)

EPA Site for Sun Exposure info: http://www.epa.gov/sunwise