Practicing sport is strongly recommended for people with cancer, particularly to avoid recurrence. With this in mind, since mid-September, around ten women being treated for breast cancer have been practicing canoeing regularly. A beneficial activity for the head and the body.
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In Palavas-les-Flots, these women row to escape the claws of a crab, breast cancer. Subjected to often heavy treatment, they escape once a week by canoe. And rowing does them good, first of all on a physical level.
“By paddling, we mobilize our muscles and this allows us to strengthen our upper body and in the case of axillary cleaning, it helps restart circulation in the lymphatics. This has multiple benefits for the body“, testifies Adeline Vidal.
We are here to move forward together.
She adds: “We are all on the same boat. What binds us is illness. I have the impression that when I pick up my paddle, I take my life back a little.”
This meeting is also an opportunity to take a breath of fresh air together. And to talk about their fight against illness. No taboo. “There is group cohesion and here we can exchange lots of advice. We leave the medical field and if we have difficulties, we can comfort each other. It’s a very friendly moment”, confides Laurence Colsenet.
The Pink Paddles were born thanks to the Montpellier Cancer Institute (ICM) and the Palavas Sea Kayak. With a project that goes beyond the framework of adapted sport.
“It’s really about putting them on a lasting basis in practice so that we can integrate them into groups that are not Pagaies Roses. Today, my hope is that tomorrow they will become paddlers like any other paddler.”confirms Sylvain Agier, Vice-President of Palavas Kayak de Mer.
The Pink Paddles also have the idea of going further into the Mediterranean. Towards the coves or towards Spain, whatever. The future holds out its arms to them.
