RAISING AWARENESS - Skip Ciccarelli, 60, of Massachusetts stopped at Tawas Bay last week on his 1,700-mile, 54-day kayak trek from Chicago to New York City to raise awareness of prostate cancer. - Photo by John Morris

Cancer survivor is on 1,700-mile kayak trek
by John Morris

EAST TAWAS - Do you know your PSA score?

That’s the message a 60-year-old Massachusetts man is conveying along his 1,700-mile, 54-day kayak trek from Chicago to New York City.
Skip Ciccarelli, a high school carpentry instructor, is making the trek to raise prostate cancer awareness; more specifically, to remind men to get a simple blood test to get their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) results.

“By drawing attention to prostate cancer, I’m hoping more men will get prostate checks, PSA testing and cause more research to focus on prostate cancer, which is the second largest killer of men,” said Ciccarelli, who stopped overnight in the Tawas area on Tuesday, July 8.

In 2002, Ciccarelli was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer and was told by his doctors that he had two months time before the cancer spread to other parts of his body. After consulting with a team of doctors in Boston, he placed his bet on surgery and won.

The married father of three adult children is now cancer free.

“At the time, I realized that, like most men, I was clueless about prostate cancer and soon became flummoxed at how little men know about their own bodies,” he said. “When was the last time you heard someone talk about prostate cancer?

“I realize I need to use my own abilities to help raise awareness. There are more instances of prostate cancer in men than breast cancer in women and no one’s talking about it, especially us guys.

“The more people that I can get talking about prostate cancer, the happier I am.”

Ciccarelli decided the best way for him to raise awareness of prostate cancer was to include his passion for kayaking. He has competed is kayak racing events from five to 70 miles.

He left the Lincoln Park Boat Club in Chicago on June 14 in his 18-foot sea kayak and plans to arrive in New York City on Aug. 9, the seven-year anniversary of his surgery.

The course charted by Ciccarelli took him along the Wisconsin coast of Lake Michigan to the Northern Islands. He crossed to the Upper Peninsula and made his way through the Straits of Mackinac and down Michigan’s Sunrise Side coast.

“The more people that I can get talking about prostate cancer, the happier I am.”

Ciccarelli decided the best way for him to raise awareness of prostate cancer was to include his passion for kayaking. He has competed is kayak racing events from five to 70 miles.

He left the Lincoln Park Boat Club in Chicago on June 14 in his 18-foot sea kayak and plans to arrive in New York City on Aug. 9, the seven-year anniversary of his surgery.

The course charted by Ciccarelli took him along the Wisconsin coast of Lake Michigan to the Northern Islands. He crossed to the Upper Peninsula and made his way through the Straits of Mackinac and down Michigan’s Sunrise Side coast.

On Wednesday, June 9 he planned to tackle crossing Saginaw Bay to head toward the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair then down to the Detroit River to Lake Erie. He’ll then travel east on Lake Erie continuing to Buffalo, N.Y. In Tonawanda, N.Y. Ciccarelli will take the Erie Canal to the Hudson River and to the Big Apple.

Ciccarelli began planning the trip 18 months ago, which he named “Paddling for Prostate.” The plan is to cover an average of 40 miles a day with six days built in for inclement weather delays and two days off to join his students at a voc/ed technical skills competition in Kansas where they won a silver medal finishing second in the nation.

“It’s been very enjoyable,” Ciccarelli said of the trek so far. “I’ve been blown away by the kindheartedness and generosity of people.

“The hardest part is getting into a cold wet suit in the morning.”

Ciccarelli’s friend Evan Thayer of New Jersey has been his support crew along the journey following him in an SUV. Thayer will stay with Ciccarelli up to Lake Erie when he will then go solo to New York City.

Ciccarelli carries a GPS, a marine radio, cell phone, compass and maps in his kayak.

For the most part, Ciccarelli said his kayak trek has been through wilderness. “Hours would go by when you don’t hear anything human,” he said. “I’ve been enjoying the loons.”

“I’m realizing more and more how crazy this is,” he said with a laugh. “I like paddling, but I’m doubting myself that I like it this much.”

He began paddling 10 years ago and has been racing kayaks for the past three years.

The hardest part of the trip so far was crossing the Mackinac Straits, he said. “The Mackinac crossing, that was a little tricky,” Ciccarelli said. “There’s some serious winds and waves in the Straits.”