We are proud to say that we are governed by an
ALL VOLUNTEER, ALL BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR Board of Directors!
Linda Breckingridge (President & Business / Policy Manager) - Linda is a nine year survivor who joined Hope Afloat in 2002, which was before we even had a boat to put in the water! She has worked in the insurance industry since the 70’s and has been a claim supervisor/manager since the late 80’s. Linda has attended every Race for the Cure since her diagnosis. In 1997, Linda struggled to even finish walking the race course, since her treatment had just finished the month before, and in 2004, Linda ran the race! She was selected as the Survivor Chair for the Medford, NJ ACS Relay for Life in 2002, serving in that capacity for two years, and has participated in volunteer work for Strides against Breast Cancer, MS, Habitat for Humanity and Philadelphia Cares. Linda started doing “boot camp” style outdoor exercise in 2002, enjoys yoga and has attended several weekend seminars to “Become an Outdoor Woman”. She has an adventurous spirit and has even braved tandem skydiving. Linda enjoys being around other strong women such as she finds in Hope Afloat, since that only makes her stronger. She has been asked by some friends, why do you do all that exercise, aren’t you afraid of hurting yourself? The answer is simple-“because I can.” Linda, fondly known by the team as “Tow Queen,” has a tremendous love of the outdoors and camping where she learned the skills to tow a 24 foot travel trailer, skills which Linda has readily utilized to tow our dragonboat.
Phoebe Wood (Treasurer) – Phoebe’s guiding principle has long been that for every negative there is a positive. You just have to find it. If breast cancer in 1999 was the negative, finding Hope Afloat in 2004 was the positive. Phoebe has run her own business, Framers' Workroom frame shops in Jenkintown and Washington, D.C., for 30 years, and she has been an active volunteer in her University City neighborhood for just as long. She helped start and was on the board of a local farmers market; she was president of her condominium association, and she was a founding member of her community association. Now, she is delighted to put her experience and enthusiasm to work for Hope Afloat. As a traveler, Phoebe has always enjoyed the exotic. She finds places like Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Armenia more enticing than London, Rome and Paris. Theater, ballet and annual vacations in the Adirondacks are other favorite pleasures she shares with her longtime companion, Steve. But not much has been more exciting or rewarding than paddling as part of a team of extraordinary women to gold in Vancouver.