Posted: 5 March, 2021
This March Jo is walking 10,000 steps per day throughout the month to help beat cancer - and the rest of the staff team are joining her!
The last 12 months have been difficult for everyone but for Jo Pinder, Scottish Rowing’s Membership Services Administrator, the challenges have been very different. It started with the discovery of a dangerously enlarged spleen during a holiday of a lifetime trip to New Zealand in January 2020 - just as the world was hearing of a new virus coming out of China. This abruptly ended the tour and further investigations back in the UK led to a diagnosis of Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer.
Jo said “I was lucky to have a form of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma with a clear treatment plan and despite the pandemic all the tests happened quickly. The Haematology team at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley was amazing and had me started on my first Chemotherapy treatment within a month of my first appointment.”
“That a treatment plan was readily available is due to the amazing research funded by charities like Cancer Research UK. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit these charities hard financially and I want to do something to help keep this vital research on track so people diagnosed with all forms of cancer can get the same support I had.”
Despite 5 months of chemotherapy Jo had to have her spleen removed before she was finally declared to be in remission.
“After the operation it was a long six weeks before I could do any exercise, so I have been doing my best to slowly get some fitness back. When I saw Cancer Research UK were doing their10,000 steps every day in March campaign it seemed the perfect opportunity to combine my fitness goals with raising some money.”
Due to COVID-19, the team here at Scottish Rowing has not seen Jo in person since last February when she shared the news of her diagnosis. We wanted to do something to show how incredibly proud we are of her - and since we can’t be there to support her in person, we have pledged to walk with her virtually instead and will be aiming to match her 10,000 steps a day.
As well as her day job with Scottish Rowing, Jo will be familiar to many in her volunteer roles at Castle Semple Rowing Club and as a regular in the finish tower at Scottish Rowing events.
If you would like to support Jo in raising money for Cancer Research then the link to her fundraising page is here https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/jos-walk-all-over-cancer-fundraising-page-996. You could also join Jo and the Scottish Rowing team and walk 10,000 steps a day too. Share pictures of your walk on Twitter or Facebook and tag @ScottishRowing. Every bit of encouragement will help Jo reach her fundraising target and keep the whole team motivated to get out there every day in sun, rain, wind and possibly snow, and get those steps in.
Posted: 2 October 2025 Scottish Rowing has appointed Julie Mullen as its new Safe Sport Case...
Read more: Scottish...
Posted: 01 October 2025 After much deliberation, the Scottish Rowing Awards Shortlists are...
Read more: Celebrating...
Posted: 26 September 2025 Later this year the Scotland Rowing Team is preparing to take on the...
Read more: Sponsorship...
Posted: 22 September 2025 Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is known for it’s captivating, dramatic and...
Read more: Wet, Windy &...
Posted: 19 September 2025 Scottish Rowing welcomes the proactive steps taken by ASRA in addressing...
Posted: 18 September 2025 Written by Kate and Naomi of the YPP. For the first time in history,...
Read more: Young Voices,...
Scottish Rowing is delighted to announce the appointment of Adam Martin as Head of Development and...
Posted: 16 Sept 2025 On 22–24 September 2025, veteran, explorer and para rower Ben Gallagher,...
Read more: From First...
Posted: 09 September 2025 The Scotland Rowing Team took to the water at Dorney Lake on Saturday...
Read more: Captain's...
Posted: 04 September 2025 Cam Buchan & Natacha Searson in the CMix2x (All Mark One) Scottish...
Read more: Medals galore...
Posted: 04 September 2025 Scottish Rowing is delighted to open nominations for the 2024–25...
Posted: 05 September 2025 Scottish athletes are preparing to make an impact on the international...
Read more: Battle in...
Posted: 14 August 2025 Gold Medalling winning GB Women’s Eight, photo credit: World University...
Read more: Victory for...
Posted: 07 August 2025 Scotland’s Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd...
Read more: Minister for...
British Rowing is working in partnership with organisations including UK Sport, Sport England,...
Read more: Great Britain...
Posted: 1 August 2025 Join us as Scottish Rowing embarks on a nationwide roadshow to shape our next...
Read more: Strategy...
Posted: 24 June 2025 For the second year running, Scottish clubs won three trophies at Henley...
Read more: A trio of...
Posted: 17 June 2025 Last month, UK Sport launched two new coach development programmes,...
Read more: Two Scottish...
Posted: 11 June 2025 Get ready for an unforgettable week on the water as the Junior Technical Camp...
Read more: Junior...
Posted: 06 June 2025 This weekend, Strathclyde Park will once again play host to Scotland’s...
Read more: 2025 Scottish...