Oarsome Foursome swap gold for blue

Thursday 10 September 2009

Australia’s most famous rowing crew, the Oarsome Foursome, have reunited to ‘get blue’ for Blue September.

The 1992 Olympic crew of Nick Green, James Tomkins, Mike McKay and Andrew Cooper kicked off the

campaign on the Yarra River and were filmed and photographed with their faces being painted blue in support of the campaign which encourages men to face up to cancer.

The Oarsome Foursome and Rowing Australia are committed to promoting healthy lifestyle choices for men. Rowing Australia CEO Andrew Dee articulated the importance of the Blue September message.

“Rowing Australia enthusiastically supports the Blue September campaign that raises awareness of cancer in men,” Dee said. “As the ultimate team sport, rowers understand that you cannot be successful on the water without the total support and commitment of your crew mates.

“This philosophy is equally vital in enlisting the help of family and friends in promoting the awareness of

cancers that men face and encouraging men to be proactive in managing their health.”

Blue September is specifically aimed at raising awareness about the most common cancers causing death in men: lung, prostate, bowel, pancreas and melanoma. With the exception of prostate cancer, these and many other cancer deaths could be prevented through lifestyle choices and early detection.

The campaign slogan of “Men Facing Up To Cancer” will be brought to life during the month of September by men, women and children painting their faces blue or expressing blue in some other way. Faces are therefore a central theme of the campaign. Famous faces such as the Oarsome Foursome will help encourage Australians to ‘get blue’ for Blue September.

Blue September will be encouraging men to commit to some key cancer-smart lifestyle choices:

• Quitting smoking or helping a mate quit smoking

• Being SunSmart

• Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight

• Being physically active

• Reducing alcohol intake

• Having age-appropriate check-ups and screening tests at their GP

The public will be encouraged to collect face painting kits from outlets across Australia and get involved in the campaign to face up to cancer in men.

More information is available from the Rowing Australia website

(http://www.rowingaustralia.com.au/homepage.shtm) or at

http://au.blueseptember.org/blue_september_home.php

For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041

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