Mother And Daughter Find Solace, Healing In Rowing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Rowing is a total body work out, so you might think it would be off limits for people with shoulder or back injuries -- not for a local mother and daughter pair.
They're in sync, not just with their strokes and love of the Schuylkill River, but this mother and daughter team is committed to rowing even through pain and injuries.
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Merry Jones, 69, is convinced she's recovering ahead of schedule from her shoulder replacement surgery because of rowing.
"That's the thing about rowing, you're so concentrated on the beauty of it and the water and being out there that if it hurts a little, you're not paying attention to that," she explained.
Now, Merry and her 31-year-old daughter Baille are training for the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, as they celebrate a big anniversary and their special bond.
"(Baille's) the bow and the bow is the boss," Merry said.
Merry and Baille are celebrate their 20th anniversary of learning how to row to together.
"Rowing with my mom -- she's my first best friend -- so, its fun to be able to get out there with her," Baille said.
For Baille, there was a big setback, a herniated disc, then back surgery when she graduated high school.
"There's always a risk," she said. "When I first hurt it, the doctor told me, if you sneeze, you can herniate a disc."
Now, Baille combines rowing with yoga to keep her back strong, along with plenty of stretching.
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"I feel like I was born on the water," she said. "Being around the water is so wonderful."
Baille now works as a sports psychologist, helping other athletes with issues related to competing and being injured.
