Coming from a family of champions in competitive canoeing, Dodge Havens spends a lot of days on the water paddling and swimming. When he was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2013, he had surgery to remove the tumor, then came to Massey to confirm that the cancer had not spread. But testing showed it had metastasized.

As an athlete, Dodge felt he would able to manage the aggressive treatment he would need, including immunotherapy and radiation therapy. Through it all, Dodge kept paddling his canoe. He was asked not to lift anything heavier than 20 lbs during his treatment. “My canoe weighs 75 lbs so I thought I might have to stop.” Instead, he switched to a lightweight racing canoe and kept going.

Dodge still goes canoeing but with a new perspective. “I’ve learned to take it one day at time. Just see how it goes and enjoy the day.”

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