Former nurse Cara Rathwell and trained engineer Tegan Killi
For starting a sun-protective clothing company to reduce skin cancer rates
After Cara Rathwells basal cell carcinoma diagnosis in 2019, she and her friend Tegan Killitheyve been besties since grade ninehad a business idea. My surgeon recommended I wear sun-protective clothing when Im outside, because Im super high risk, says Rathwell, who is 42. However, most ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) clothes are pretty sportygreat if youre on the golf course or at the beach, maybe not so appealing if youre sitting on a patio with friends. All I could find was athletic wear, or it looked like I was on safari, she says. Seeing a gap in the market, Rathwell, who had worked as a surgical oncology nurse before having kids, and Killi, then an engineer, enrolled in a sustainable clothing brand accelerator program. They founded their Calgary-based business, MorrisonRowe, in 2021, selling Canadian-made UPF50+ basics manufactured from natural fibres.A full third of all new cases of cancer in Canada are skin cancers, and while overall cancer rates are declining, skin cancer rates are rising, in part thanks to cumulative damage from UV rays over the years. For many boomers and Gen Xers, sunburns were common and sunscreen use was occasional.People are like, Oh, I know so-and-so whos had skin cancer, this would be great for them, says Killi. But we really need people to realize this isnt only for cancer survivors. This is protecting you from getting skin cancer in the first place. We need to start earlier. Bonnie Schiedel
