SANTA CRUZ, CA.--Santa Cruz, California-based performance clothing designer, Girls4Sport, is proud to sponsor surfer and cancer survivor Pamela Clark as its newest team rider. 

Watching surf videos, reading surf magazines, and dreaming about surfing with her sister-in-law helped Clark get through her darkest days as she underwent a bone marrow transplant two years ago to battle Hodgkin’s disease, which is cancer of the lymph system.  The 35-year-old from Portland, Oregon, had just learned to surf months before she was first diagnosed with the disease in 2002.  Six months of chemo gave her a year of remission, but in 2003 the Hodgkin’s returned. She endured a grueling treatment process that included harvesting her stem cells, radiation, chemotherapy, and stem cell infusion.  Against her doctors’ advice, she was back in the water just 55 days after her transplant.  Clark now surfs two or three times a week and “shares the stoke” by organizing surf lessons and surf contests along the Oregon and Washington coast. She also volunteers for a number of organizations like The Surfrider Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Clark first took to the water while on vacation in Hawaii with her husband.  “We rented boards in Waikiki like every other tourist and took a lesson from one of the guys on the beach,” said Clark.  “The second I picked up the board, I knew I was going to do it for the rest of my life.”

Getting back on a surfboard was Clark’s road to recovery from her bone marrow transplant, even if it meant pulling off to the side of the road on those few first trips to throw up.  Her hair has grown out, but she has scars on her right breast from the central line that was used to administer medications and at 35, she’s already in menopause.  “The cold water helps with the hot flashes,” she said with a laugh, referring to the frigid water temperatures off the Oregon coast.

“Pamela’s spirited battle against Hodgkin’s disease, her insatiable passion for surfing, and her desire to help others makes her an incredible inspiration for all of us,” said Kim Ruby, President of Girls4Sport.  “Girls4Sport’s mission is to inspire women of all ages to lead active, confident lives.  Pamela embodies our mission in an extraordinary way.”

When Clark isn’t catching waves, she works as the chief drug and alcohol research analyst for an Oregon agency.  She holds a B.A. in law from UC Santa Barbara and an M.A. in criminal justice from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.  She and her husband, Rod, live in Portland, Oregon. 

About Girls4Sport:
Girls4Sport is dedicated to creating performance clothing with the female body in mind. Girls4Sport's line includes rashguard sets designed for women by women with super comfy SPF 65-rated fabrics, built-in shelf bras, out of the ordinary prints, and flattering fits.   In addition to its products, Girls4Sport has established the Girls4Sport Foundation, a charitable arm of Girls4Sport to support organizations and programs that provide girls of all ages with the support and inspiration to lead active, confident lives. Girls4Sport products are distributed through a variety of retail outlets and online. For more information about Girls4Sport products and team riders, please visit www.girls4sport.com or call 831.423.8755.

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