Six women arrived this Saturday on the island of Moorea, in French Polynesia, after having taken turns paddling on a board for 80 days, from Peru, for a solidarity challenge against cancer.
With this sporting adventure, the “Cap optimist” expedition wants to help children with cancer and their companions.
Leaving Lima on January 4, these five French women and one Spanish woman were received some 8,000 kilometers later by hundreds of Polynesians, some of whom suffered from cancer. They covered the last few meters in a traditional six-seater canoe before reuniting with their families.
“A mental and human challenge”
“It is a great joy and a great relief, the culmination of a three-year project with the preparation: I find my daughter after an exceptional reception,” said one of the rowers, Alexandra Lux.
“It was very hard rowing every four hours a day, but it was also a mental and human challenge to live together in a small boat,” admitted another rower, Emmanuelle Bescheron.
All of them are elite athletes and one of them, the world champion in coastal rescue Stéphanie Barneix, has overcome four cancers.
Rowers took turns hourly, day and night, to make the crossing lying or squatting on a large paddle board.
800,000 euros raised
This challenge from the Hope Team East association raises funds to equip health centers with sports equipment and support children with cancer.
Each kilometer traveled raised 100 euros, which allowed the six women to raise 800,000 euros, distributed 40% to finance the challenge and 60% for solidarity actions.
The rowers will go to schools on Monday, then to the Tahiti hospital and the new Cancer Institute of French Polynesia, to promote sport and health.
Source: BFM TV
