Message of solidarity to Spanish teams
Submitted by Anna Fumarola on behalf of Spanish teams
October started in Spain with a multitude of activities that have been carried out with enthusiasm and great participation until the end of the month, when terrible floods in the province of Valencia have truncated the last initiatives causing great loss of human lives and thousands of victims affected by this disaster.
Faced with this tragedy, the great Dragon Boat family has united and many of its members have travelled from all over Spain to take part in the rescue work and provide what was most needed.
On behalf of the IBCPC, I would like to express a message of deep support and solidarity to the teams from the Valencian Community and to all the Spanish people.
What an intense October for Spanish teams!
Alberche Kayak Club/Madridragons has started the month by presenting their breast cancer paddlers through Instagram. Each one of the team members has defined herself with a phrase and has expressed what dragon boating is for her. Each one of them is so different, real and authentic and form a spectacular group combining enthusiasm, vitality and desire to participate in this way of life that is the dragon.
Three of them have been participating with the Go Europe team made up of paddlers from 5 European countries plus the United States in the breast cancer survivor festival in Annecy, France, including the IBCPC representatives from Spain, Austria, Germany, United Kingdom and the United States. Carolina Hernández, the captain, said, ‘The experience of getting on a boat with paddlers of different nationalities intensifies the feeling of belonging to a global breast cancer paddler movement, to a great team without borders where the differences only highlight the inner connection.” They have returned delighted with the experience and with several trophies: Gold in 1000m, Gold in 300m and Bronze in the Australian 5x75.
Also on October 19th, physiotherapist Paloma Domingo, vice-president of the Spanish Association of Lymphedema, and Soraya Casla, doctor in physical activity and sport sciences and pioneer in Spain in the development of oncological exercise, visited the team on their training site, Casa de Campo Lake. They shared their knowledge and answered numerous questions after which they rode the dragon and left enchanted and bewitched by the magic produced by this boat in which the rhythms of its paddlers join to create a unique and harmonious movement.
Mimao, a footwear company very committed with cancer awareness in general and breast cancer in particular, donated a cover to protect the newest dragon from the weather and a drummer-seat in a participative ceremony.
On the 29th some of them gave a motivational talk at the University Francisco de Victoria in the Conference on Awareness, visibility and struggle.
The Flamenco Rosas team participated in the Intercontinental Dragon Boat tribute to Joan Collins ranking 2nd, being only beaten by the Hit International II, composed of paddlers from USA and Canada.
With the Pinatarense Sports Association as host, beyond the sporting, the event becomes every year a great celebration of canoeing that brings together paddlers from different parts of the world to honour the memory of Joan Collins.
The Folixa Club team from Galicia in northern Spain, organized a solidarity campaign to donate scarves. The initiative was originally launched by the captain, Tania Casals when she was in treatment and collected then about 400 scarves. It was so successful that they have decided to repeat the initiative to give security to others collecting this year 714 scarves that were donated to the day hospital in Ferrol.
“Hair loss is a very hard thing, seeing yourself without hair, eyebrows, eyelashes... it is a continuous reminder that you are going through a very tough illness. And in those moments the scarf identifies you, conceals you and gives you security in the face of the impact of people who see you bald and helps you to look a little better. Every scarf donated has a phrase or a word in support, we will write something that we would have liked to read at that time, making a chain of solidarity, from helping research to embracing the patients,” explains Raquel, who encourages people to donate.
