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IAMRAFI: We Did Not Face
This Alone
The Story of Anne Georgia Crystal Solante,
Cebu Pink Paddlers Dragon Boat Team Captain (Part 2 of 2)
By Marco Paulo Trajano Deligero | May 29, 2018
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Battling and surviving breast cancer is already a life-changing experience for Georgia. Then she took on a new responsibility and formed a team to further raise breast cancer awareness through sports.
Georgia, or Captain Solante to her teammates, also aims to inspire more cancer-stricken people that there is life after diagnosis. This led to the creation of the Cebu Pink Paddlers Dragon boat team, the first and only breast cancer survivor team in the Philippines, that has already won two gold medals last October 2017.
On the Beginning of Something Better
In her battle against cancer, Captain Solante met several people that helped her create life-changing impact on people, particularly women afflicted with breast cancer.
Coach Nonnie Lopez of the Dragon boat Cebu Central, through Grace Ferrer, a Habagat team member and also a breast cancer survivor, encouraged her to try paddling as part of her exercise and hobby.
She was very skeptical at first but enthusiastic in trying out this new sport. She thought that it was going to be difficult for her, that her body would not be able to withstand the intense activity given that her body was still in the recovery phase from her battle against breast cancer.
“I cannot forget that day, it was on the 21st of January 2017. It was a great feeling trying it for the first-time! I never thought that paddling would be that fun, it was very exciting to try!” she said.
Captain Solante then invited her friends Maribeth, Mary Ann and Mirasol, to try the sport as well.
On Forming a Full-Pledged Team
She eventually fell in love with paddling, and then decided to form a team of breast cancer survivors. She invited other breast cancer co-advocates of the ICanServe Foundation to join the team.
By March 2017, just two months after her first paddling experience, Georgia completed the ICanServe Dragon boat team (with 10 paddlers, 1 helm, 1 drummer). They immediately had their first competition the next month at the Cebu Yacht Club.
“We saw that the ICanServe Dragon boat team had very good potential, but we needed a professional coach if we wanted to be stronger and succeed in dragon boating.”
Newer and Better Changes
It wasn’t until their team was adopted by the Philippine Accessibility Disability Services (PADS), where they were given the formal training by their newly-found coach, Christian Ian Sy.
Coach Christian gave them a rigorous three-month training. He taught them the proper body form used in paddling, how to strengthen and condition every aspect of their physical body, including their core, muscles, balance and sharpening of other skills related to paddling, including the mind.
“We really needed a trainer to support us, and to help us become better. Someone who will push us to be the best we could be!” Captain Solante said.
The Journey Continues
With all these changes and progress, she decided to register the team with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as the ‘Cebu Pink Paddlers Inc.’ on July 13, 2017.
“One of the reasons why we registered the Cebu Pink Paddlers Inc.’ Dragon boat team is to officially begin our advocacy through paddling, which would also allow us to gather funding from different individuals and organizations to further strengthen our advocacy through the sport.”
More Than Just an Advocacy
The primary advocacy of Cebu Pink Paddlers Inc. Dragon boat team is not just to stay fit, but to also inspire and empower those who are battling [breast] cancer, and to show the world that there is life after being diagnosed with the disease.
“There is life after diagnosis. There is hope, everyone should remember that.”
In preparation for their very first international competition in Taiwan, Captain Solante and her team were really excited, but also committed themselves to prepare and to double their efforts in order to be successful in the international arena.
“We are very lucky to have people around us who always help us in achieving the goals that we aim for.”
Captain Solante also mentioned the efforts and support that their team doctors gave them, in the person of Dr. Rhoel Dejaño, their strength & conditioning doctor.
“I remember what Dr. Dejaño always tells us in order to prepare and to prevent any injury from happening in for our competition in Taiwan.”
“We even have a team Physical Therapist, Billy John Remedio, who is also the strength and conditioning doctor for our team.”
“Basically, we train everyday in order to achieve the desired results.”
“Everyday training, skills, plus science. This is the foundation of our training, and the coaches always remind us to do only those that our bodies can take or absorb.” Georgia added.
Taiwan and Their First Two Golds
When they arrived in Taiwan for the big competition, Captain Solante said that they were all on their nerves because their competitors, also breast cancer survivors, were bigger, fitter, and had 15 years of paddling experience.
“When we saw them, we asked ourselves, ‘are we ready for this?’ And then as a team, we motivated each other and cheered, we can do this!”
And win they did! The Cebu Pink Paddlers Dragon Boat team won the Breast Cancer Survivor (BCS) 500m race category in the 2017 Taiwan Keelung International Dragon Boat Festival, held at the Keelung Harbor in Keelung City, Taiwan with 5:09.140 time record.
Their competitors, the Long Beach Pink Dragons of USA finished in with 5:26.740 and Dragon Abreast Hong Kong finished with 5:41.800 finishing second and third, respectively.
And on the second leg of the competition with 200m race to finish, the Cebuano paddlers ended strong with 1 minute and 57.29 seconds. Giving them their second gold victory.
Challenges Encountered
The Taiwan competition was not an easy win for the Cebu Pink Paddlers Dragon boat team, according to Captain Solante.
“What people don’t know is that this (Taiwan competition) was the most challenging race that we have done so far. During the first five strokes, our boat nearly flipped over because of some circumstance, good thing we, as a team, managed to think fast and made our way to finish the race.”
“The shorter the length of the race the more difficult it becomes, because in our experience, we have to be accurate and fast as possible in just a very short span of time in order to win, and that’s one of the challenges that we have faced and conquered as a team.”
Despite this gold medal finish, the team kept their feet on the ground. “Wala ni namo maabot kining tagumpay nga kami-kami ra,” (We did not achieve this victory on our own.), she humbly said.
Greatest Lesson Learned
When asked on the greatest lesson, or lessons learned by the Cebu Pink Paddlers Dragon boat team, Captain Solante said it would be to give your all in hard work and trust, and give everything to God.
“We might not have survived this without Him, without God.”
“He is our strength, our everything.”
She also said that optimism goes long way, because ‘no matter how difficult the challenges are, there will always be hope if you remain optimistic, it’s time that you take hold of your life.’
She also values the love and support she, and the rest of team, receive from their families and friends.
‘We Did Not Face This Alone’
Faith in God, and to the Our Lady of Guadalupe, have been Captain Solante’s motivation, ‘I claim success every time I pray to God.’
To ‘my love,’ Jojo, even though we are far away from each other, you have been very supportive of me, I love you.
“To the Solante family, and my two sons, Gerard Geronimo Crystal Beniga, now 21 (her son from her first husband who passed away), and Gregory Roman Crystal Solante, now 11. You are my motivation, I love you both.”
“To my ICanServe Foundation Inc. family, Dr. Villegas who encourages me to serve, to Tita Nella, and Tingting Caballero, core group of ICanServe Foundation Inc. who visited me during my surgery, thank you.”
“To the Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center (EJACC), Sir Ronald Delos Reyes, EJACC coordinator, Ms. Gina Mariquit, and to RAFI-EJACC itself, daghang salamat.”
Paddling Towards Success
In behalf the Cebu Pink Paddlers dragon boat team, Captain Solante also give thanks to their team Physical Therapists, Dr. Bayron Garcia, and Dr. Dianna Nebria.
“To our doctors, Daghang salamat (thank you very much) for being there when we most needed it. We’ve seen the dedication that you have given us.”
She also give thanks to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Commissioner Ramon Fernandez.
“To Mr. Ramon S. Fernandez, the PSC commissioner, thank you very much for motivating us. You did a great job in motivating us, daghang salamat (thank you very much), Sir!”
“Also, thank you to the Cebu Mighty Dragons, Philippine Navy, to the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) for providing us a certain amount of financial support, and of course, to the whole team of Cebu Pink Paddlers, let us continue inspiring women, one swing of a paddle at a time.” Captain Solante said.
Captain Solante said that she even remembered a time when Dr. Garcia said that “You, the Cebu Pink Paddlers Dragon boat team are no longer just breast cancer survivors, you are athletes now.” #IAMRAFI
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“Everyday training, skills, plus science. This is the foundation of our training, and the coaches always remind us to do only those that our bodies can take or absorb.”
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