MANILA, Philippines – You can never put a strong woman down.
Not even breast cancer.
It was five years ago when Eden Cabaguing-Paluca, 41, was diagnosed with Stage 2B Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, or in lay man’s term, breast cancer.
It forced her to give up her career as a flight attendant and even the things she loved doing.
PINK SURVIVOR, WARRIOR. Edna Peluca is a breast cancer survivor and now a member of the Cebu Pink Paddlers dragon boat team. Photo courtesy of Cebu Pink Paddlers dragon boat team
Until one day, she realized: “Hey, there’s so much to life after diagnosis.”
Thanks to ICanServe Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the early detection of breast cancer, Paluca, who is now a cancer survivor, found comfort and refuge in other women likewise battling cancer.
Cebu Pink Paddlers, a beacon of positivity
Together, they paddle for gold as the first all-women dragon boat team in Cebu and first all-breast cancer survivor dragon boat team in the Philippines collectively called the Cebu Pink Paddlers.
AIMING HIGH. The Cebu Pink Paddlers dragon boat team in training. Photo courtesy of Cebu Pink Paddlers dragon boat team
“So the aim of the Cebu Pink Paddlers dragon boat team is to inspire, give inspiration. We give hope to those women who were also diagnosed with breast cancer. That, ‘Hey, there’s so much life after diagnosis,’” Paluca told INQUIRER.net on Tuesday in a phone interview.
Paluca never saw herself being part of a dragon boat team, as she was hardly into sports prior to her breast cancer diagnosis.
But the opportunity to rise beyond adversity presented itself through a fellow ICanServe Foundation member.
“There’s one member of ICanServe, one of our sisters invited us to try dragon boating. At first, I was hesitant kasi ‘yung dragon boat entails a lot of training,” she said.
Despite the challenge, however, she was undaunted.
“And then I realized, Hey, if they can do it, there’s no excuse for me. So why can’t I?’” Peluca said.
Love at first paddle
“When I tried paddling for the first time, I felt good. Na-fascinate ako agad. Kasi in one boat, you are all breast cancer survivors where in these women, same ‘yung pinagdaanan. You went through the same things that I did so it empowered me that I can do so much more things after that diagnosis,” Peluca added.
Indeed it was a tough journey for Peluca, but she was a firm believer that she can do more and rise above and beyond breast cancer.
She thought: “But what I can do even though you’re [cancer] here with me, I can still do relevant things—that I can inspire, I can give hope to other people, to newly diagnosed with breast cancer or those people who are challenged in life.”
Cancer survivors winning hearts
The Cebu Pink Paddlers first joined a dragon boat race in 2017 at the Cebu Dragonboat Fiesta at the Cebu Yacht Club in Lapu-Lapu City.
The cancer survivors failed to clinch a podium finish but easily won the hearts and admiration of the people
“Our competitors were regular women so we’re not able to win, but we’re able to win the heart of the audience, the heart of the people. Because when they see our pink uniforms, alam na nila na mga breast cancer survivors ‘to,” Peluca recalled.
Pink girls strike gold
The team, however, was aiming at bigger accomplishments and made waves in the 2017 Keelung International Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan.
The Cebu Pink Paddlers ruled the 500-meter and 200-meter races under the Breast Cancer Survivor Category, edging out the teams from Hong Kong and the United States, earning team members a gold medal.
“After that race, we’re in tears talaga kasi hindi namin naexpect. We’re not only representing the team, our community, the breast cancer survivors, the ICanServe group, but we’re already representing our country, the Philippines,” Peluca said.
On to the next challenge
Now, the team is gearing up for the three-day Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival from June 14 to 16.
Apart from the sea training , the cancer survivors also have a land training under the supervision of a sports medicine doctor and a trainer.
“We’re proud and at the same time we’re excited and meron ding kaba because this is the first and only all-women breast cancer survivors dragon boat team in the Philippines na magrerepresent doon sa Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Carnival,” Peluca said.
‘New faces of survivors’
Peluca reminded cancer-stricken women to be rise above the illness than diseases and underscored the mantra that there is much more to life after a cancer diagnosis.
“For the women who went through the same as us, don’t dwell too much on those negative emotions. Everything will change,” she said.
“So ‘yung gusto lang namin to impart is we’re here, we’re giving a new face to survivors. Parang when they see us, Hey, they’re just like us. So we give inspiration, we inspire. And we want to send the message that there’s still so much life after diagnosis,” she added.
Early detection, early detection, early detection
Peluca emphasized that early detection of cancer increases the chances for successful treatment.
“And then for the family of those who are afflicted with the disease, early detection saves lives. Early detection is the best prevention,” she said.
“So when you are diagnosed early, like me personally I was stage 2B, you can still do so much. We wanted to tell the world, to let them see another face of survivors to empower women.” (Editor: Gilbert S. Gaviola)