IT’S 30 minutes before the clock strikes 5 in the morning, and it’s only a matter of time until the calm, serene sea would again take part of a team of women’s journey as dragon boat athletes.
The arriving daylight brought along with it a newfound motivation that slowly made its way into the athletes’ veins. Any traces of slumber still on their faces began to disappear.
Within the next two hours, the group will battle the heat, their muscles tensed and brows furrowed in determination as they maneuver their way across the sea and on to the finish line of the day’s training.
These women, though, are no ordinary athletes. They are breast cancer survivors.
The first and only team to represent breast cancer survivors in the country, the Cebu Pink Paddlers recently won two gold medals in the Keelung International Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan. They defeated all the other international contingents in both the 200 and 500-meter categories.
This, they achieved in less than 12 months since coming together to form a team of paddlers.
Team captain Anne Georgia Solante said they started with five members who just wanted to try the sport last January.
“Our first paddling experience was around two kilometers. If you’re a breast cancer survivor or patient, you would feel a numbness on the affected region. But after our first experience, the numbness was gone and this motivated us to continue paddling,” she told SunStar Cebu.
A few months and words of encouragement later, the group of five had expanded to 15, completing the required number of members for a competitive dragon boat team.
Team support
Youngest member Aida delos Reyes is 24, while the oldest is Judith Beltran, 54.
Georgia admits having to recruit members is a challenge since their requirements are “quite unique” compared with those of other sports teams.
She associated this with the misconception that those who were diagnosed and have survived cancer should not strain themselves nor place themselves in vulnerable situations.
Aside from this, team coach Christian Ian Sy said the members initially lacked confidence. But instead of getting discouraged, he used this to push them out of their comfort zones.
Sy brought the team to several local races. From a record time of four minutes, the women can now finish a 200-m race in less than one minute.
“I told them to take it like a periodical exam because the experiences will teach you a lot. The more dedicated and passionate you are, the better you become,” he said.
Aside from their team camaraderie, their family’s support helps fuel the women’s passion. Mary Ann Bojos and Ma. Liberty Rañoa’s families take pride in knowing that aside from them actively taking part in such a sport, they have received health benefits from it as well.
“They could see how our dispositions have become more positive, and how we have developed better endurance,” Liberty said.
For Eleanor Mercado, it was her oncologist who encouraged her to give paddling a try.
She claimed the same positive effect on her left arm, which has been numb since she had treatment last year.
Although there are times when the fatigue gets to her, she said paddling has given her hope and happiness.
The same goes for Mirasol Viñas, who was among the first five women to try paddling. She said that despite her ongoing treatment, she has become more optimistic.
But it was not the same for their teammates Eden Paluca and Rosalie Cobre.
Eden’s husband and her parents initially had reservations about her interest in joining such a strenuous activity. But Eden, who has been a survivor for the past four years, stood pat and her positive changes and eventual winnings have earned her her family’s support.
Life experience
Rosalie, 51, heard from her oncologist that joining the team wouldn’t be wise. She was advised to consult and be tested by a cardiologist, who signed her certificate that she is well enough to join the team.
“Don’t feel defeated. We are living testaments of how we can triumph above our struggles. We are a team of different backgrounds and personalities, but we united,” Eden said.
Apart from having survivors for team members, the Pink Paddlers is also composed of wives, mothers, daughters, entrepreneurs, government workers and a master cutter.
Georgia, a survivor for six years and counting, said this is their way to spread their advocacy that hope remains when one continue to believe despite hardship.
In line with the Cancer Awareness Month, she said the team is also promoting undergoing early screening as this is the key to raising awareness and education on the risks of and treatment for cancer.