Steve Rubin: Kitesurfing Saved Me

Steve Rubin: Kitesurfing Saved Me

This is a story about courage and the positive impact of sport on physical and mental health through one mans incredible journey. Meet Steve Rubin.

Kiteboarding saved me.

Many people who are fanatical about sports that connect you with your body and nature are driven by something more than just viewing it as a pastime or hobby. Instead it is an integral part of their very being, without which they do not feel complete.

To those who have had to stop kiting through injury or illness they will be able to relate to the impact both mentally and physically of having to live without this part of them, and then there are those who have used sport and the effect it has on your body as part of the rehabilitation process and continued path to balanced health.

This is a subject that is particularly close to us in the KiteSista office, however we would like to introduce you to someone who we think exemplifies this and is an inspiration to all of us. He has a bit of a story to tell. It is our honour to introduce to you Steve Rubin.

KSm: Hi Steve, can you please tell us a little bit about your life before this story begins?

SR: Thank you for the introduction, I’m honored to share my story with you!

I grew up in Quebec, and had a pretty ideal childhood. I had just turned 15 when my dad asked me what I thought about moving to Los Angeles, and I’ve been on an adventure ever since. I spent eight years exploring the region. I worked in the climbing industry for years, as an instructor, guide and photographer. I developed a very passionate love of spending time in nature, and playing in the elements.

I decided to finish my Bachelor of Science degree, which brought me to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. I picked up kiteboarding when I decided to stay in Victoria after I earned my degree. It was the easiest way to have an epic adventure close to home any day of the week.

Steve-toe-side

I met an amazing woman and we decided to share our lives with each other. We wanted to have a kid or two, so we bought a house in preparation, and got married. Things were on track. We both had good jobs, and were making our dreams come true. We thought we knew what was going to happen next. Were we ever mistaken!

Steve & Michelle Wedding

Our wedding day, July 31 2011 (Ironically I had been growing my hair out for five years to donate to Angel Hair for Kids when I was diagnosed.)

KSm: You were then diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and everything changed. 6 months of chemotherapy followed and I do not think that words can accurately transmit either of these experiences to our readers, so we will move onto doctor’s orders “Stay out of the water, your immune systems is shot, it is too big a risk of infection”.

Can you tell us how this affected you?

SR: It felt as if the cancer diagnosis wasn’t bad enough, now they had to go and get kiteboarding involved. During the first couple of months of treatment I was completely miserable. Especially when it was windy.
I’ve heard of healthy people picking up viruses and infections surfing and kiting, and so I figured it was a good idea to listen to my oncologist on this one, at least for a while.

KSm: At what point did you finally have enough of listening to doctors orders, and what happened next?

SR: I couldn’t take it anymore. I had never been so restricted, and it was a very challenging part of the ordeal. I was told that as the months went on, the effects of chemo would accumulate, and that I’d be feeling sicker and sicker. But instead I was actually feeling a bit better as the months went by. I think this was largely due to overcoming fears that I had been holding on to.

On a windy afternoon, with the help of some close friends, I pumped up a 10m and had a two hour session! I was jumping and having fun again. The next day was windy again, and I was out there! I didn’t miss many windy days after that.

Getting back in the water marked a huge change in my recovery and tolerance to treatment. I had more energy, was much more positive, and was able to cope better with all the uncertainty about my future. Eventually I finished chemo treatments and tried my best to move on.

Steve Is kiting For Ocean Rodeo

My first day getting back in the water in Victoria, BC after a 6 month hiatus

KSm: How did this choice to take control of your body and your rehabilitation (both mental and physical) change your perspective on your situation?

SR: I’m sure you can all relate to this situation: I met a lot of people struggling through cancer diagnosis throughout my experience. A lot of them were afraid of everything: afraid of every bite of food, scared of tap water, afraid to be in public places, etc. And they were the sick ones. I only met a couple of other people who, like me, took things in stride and made decisions for themselves. You couldn’t tell these people apart from anyone else (except maybe the bald heads).

Instead of worrying about how many years I may be around for, I focused on what I could do today. What can I do right now? I had gone back to work for the company I had been working for when I was diagnosed. One day it was windy, and I was disappointed that I wasn’t at the beach. That’s when I changed everything. I was going to do everything I could to never feel that disappointment again.

Steve & Michelle

KSm: This didn’t stop with your health alone, it turns out that taking control of certain aspects of your life helped you to seize control of all of it. What else did you change?

SR: That’s when I decided to get my IKO instructor certification. I got signed up for the course at Miami Kiteboarding, and soon after I was offered a full time job at Ocean Rodeo. The puzzle pieces were falling into place again.

But guess what!

I was re-diagnosed with a recurrence of the disease the day that I arrived in Miami! My wife and I were waiting at the oversized luggage area in the airport for my kite gear when my cell phone rang. It was the head of the Lymphoma department at the Cancer Agency to deliver the bad news. I was going to be going home to a very harsh treatment called a stem cell transplant. I was going to have to endure another 6 months of very high dose chemo treatments this time around, and my immune system was going to be even more compromised than before! The doctor gave me the okay to stay in Florida for our five week trip that we had planned.

I got my IKO certification, and worked for Exuma Kitesurfing in the Bahamas for a few weeks. My students there could not believe my story! I was teaching them how to kite knowing I was going home to this horrible treatment. But I stayed focused on the moments, and was so grateful to be doing what I loved.

IKO

KSm: We know that you didn’t go through all of this alone and your wife played a huge supporting role in this, …but how did she take to this new direction in your life?

SR: Michelle is as supportive as a person could be. She had been hoping that I would make a career out of my passion, which is exactly what she has done very successfully. Michelle owns a Yoga studio and retreat business: www.michelleyoga.com

Michelle Yoga

She was also there with me throughout the hardest challenge of my life. Certain drugs made me feel like I wasn’t myself anymore, and Michelle took the brunt of that. I felt horrible for acting mean sometimes, but she always forgave me, and was there to take care of me when I was sick.

Michelle Yoga

KSm: Now for most that would be an incredibly inspirational story and we would close the interview at this point, …but not one to do things by halves you are not finished with this story, …so tell us, what happened next?

SR: The stem cell transplant was excruciating. When I was finally allowed to go home after a month in the hospital, I had one last procedure which left me with some stitches in my chest. We were told that I’d be in bed recovering for three to four months. But to everyone’s surprise, I healed really quickly, and was thinking about getting back in the water within the first week of leaving the hospital. I figured that was completely crazy, and that I should at least wait until all the stitches were removed. A week later the stitches were out, and the next day was windy. I was out there. Pretty quickly I was back to work full time at Ocean Rodeo’s head office, and teaching kiteboarding lessons at Nitinat Lake on the weekends with Strong Kiteboarding.

Steve Rubin

KSm: With your new perspective on your life, health and the recovery process, do you think this had a profound impact on your rehabilitation this time around?

SR: Getting back in the water after my second and third rounds of chemotherapy gave me a huge sense of freedom and accomplishment. It was completely unexpected that I’d be able to do it so quickly.
I had made some friends who were about to go through the same stem cell transplant, and I felt like I had to get in the water for them too – to prove to them that they would be fine.

KSm: Can you tell us how your doctors responded to your approach?

SR: You know, most doctors haven’t been through this for themselves, and only advise patients based on averages. We’ll I’m willing to bet that no one reading this article is ‘average’, and I’ve sure proven that I’m not! My primary oncologist told me that he comes down to the beach to watch me on windy days, and shouts in his thick Egyptian accent ‘Hi Mr. Rubin!’ He’s the best!

KSm: With full respect for science and modern medicine aside, would you agree with us in saying that the positive impact of sport on physical and mental health and the chemical balance it brings to your body is something under-prescribed and appreciated in our modern society?

SR: I had such an odd encounter with one of the doctors at the cancer agency a while back. He was asking me all about how I was managing, how I was feeling, etc. When I started to describe to him how much kiteboarding had been helping me, he looked at me and said, “It seems like you have a very positive attitude towards your recovery. Do you know that there is no scientific evidence that a positive outlook leads to a positive outcome?” I was completely blown away.

I absolutely agree that staying active is vital to recovery, and there is research being done now to prove it! I’m actually a test subject for a PHd student right now!

Steve & Michelle Yoga

KSm: We know you are now working for Ocean Rodeo and involved in the kiting industry, but we hear you are not stopping there in helping to raise awareness, …what on earth are you up to next Steve?

SR: For the last seven years Athletes 4 Cancer has been hosting an annual Kiteboarding 4 Cancer event in Hood River, OR.

Kiteboarding 4 Cancer

I will be the first cancer survivor to attempt the entire hundred mile endurance kiteboarding race on Saturday, July 13 2013. So far I’ve raised almost $3000 for the charity organization which enables young adult cancer survivors to attend free adventure therapy camps: Kiteboarding 4 Cancer with Steve Rubin. I’ve have had hundred of ‘likes’ on my support page and about a thousand views in the first week of a video about my efforts. It’s my first time putting myself out there, and as scary as it seems, I know it’s for a great cause.

Kiteboarding 4 Cancer

KSm: We honestly have nothing more to say to that. You are inspiration to those who kite and those who have never put a foot in the water, and so we leave you to close with any words of wisdom, advice, thanks …anything you wish.

SR: I’d like to thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. I’ll share my favorite Zen proverb with you that helped me so much throughout my experience. It’s also a very true statement for kiters:

Let Go or Be Dragged



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