A ‘wonderful’ experience on all levels. This is how Pilar Martínez explained what she felt when she took part in the archery workshop that the Sociedad Federada Deportiva de Cazadores de Mijas has been organising for the past six years for people undergoing cancer surgery and affected by lymphoedema. ‘Archery has many benefits,’ said this participant, who has been involved in the activity from the very beginning.
“First of all, the activity is beneficial for the arm, for lymphoedema. And then, secondly, the team spirit that we have. As a group, we are not just friends, we are like family. We come on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we shoot for an hour, have coffee and chat. We share our experiences and we have a great time. Thanks to cancer quote unquote, I have this family that for me is wonderful. I have a good time and I enjoy it a lot”, Pilar explained.
“We started this archery workshop for women with lymphoedema six years ago. This year we wanted to do something more festive, we have held a shooting competition and we have also set up a bar to raise funds for this cause, because we need resources, material, etc.", explained the president of the Sociedad de Cazadores, Lázaro Porras.
The first year, said Porras, the activity already had “very good results; the ladies, who had very reduced mobility in their arms, noticed some improvement. So we set up this workshop in collaboration with Mijas Town Hall in this multi-purpose hall and we are still with it. The truth is that we are very happy to support this cause, this is the sixth year that we have done it”.
Multiple benefits
Some women have attended this workshop from the beginning, “others come and go for work reasons or because of the disease itself,’ explained the programme's physiotherapist, Rocío Benjumea, who detailed the multiple benefits of the activity. ‘Lymphoedema is one of the after-effects of breast cancer, after surgery to remove some of the lymph nodes; the arm swells due to the accumulation of lymphs and fluids. It is true that this after-effect is becoming less and less frequent, 25 years ago it was quite frequent in women who had breast cancer surgery, but several preventive protocols were implemented and as a result its incidence has decreased considerably, but it is still something that appears from time to time”, she explained.
As for the physical benefits of archery, Benjumea explained that “the vibration produced in the bowstring when shooting helps lymphatic circulation. And, for this reason, together with the muscular activation produced by exercising the arm, there is an improvement in lymphoedema, in this inflammation”. In addition, she added, “the benefits are of course also felt on a social level: it is a group activity that also favours social integration and psychological well-being”, she said.
“To me, this activity has been an achievement. For lymphoedema, archery is very good for us, because when we shoot the vibration of the bow gives us all the movement towards the arm and it is very good for us”, said another of the participants, Ramoni Fernández. “Physically you notice that your arm doesn't swell so much, it helps the flow of lymphatic fluid and it's also a therapy”, added Ramoni, who added that “those of us who are here get on very well, we have a good time, it's useful for everything, for group therapy and for lymphoedema”.
A day of coexistence
The event on Saturday 4th of May turned into a great day of coexistence. Medals were given to all participants and they awarded the Sociedad de Cazadores with a thank you plaque. “We can only say thank you, thank you and thank you for everything you do for us so selflessly”, said one of the participants, who emotionally handed over the gift to the president of the group.
“We would like to thank the Sociedad de Cazadores in public for providing us with instructors and for giving us the possibility for cancer patients to take part in this archery workshop which, like any workshop, is extremely beneficial for them on a psychological and physical level”, said the president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in Mijas (AECC), Lola Sanchís, who attended the meeting. “In this workshop the participants become a group, they are people who, like everyone else, suffer from the same disease, they speak the same language, they understand each other and they stick together”, she concluded.
Institutional support
Councillors from the political parties of the municipal corporation also joined the event. “The truth is that this initiative is to be celebrated and applauded, it is the second year that this charity event has been held and all the money raised will go to help the women with their therapy and for their materials. We welcome this initiative because it is a way of easing and reducing the problems and discomfort caused by lymphoedema. And we would also like to thank the Sociedad de Cazadores who do a very special and altruistic job”, said the councillor of the popular municipal group, Marco Cortés.
“Today we gather to be with them, to eat and enjoy with them. So that they can forget for a while about everything they've been through”, said Francisco Jerez, a councillor from the Vox municipal group. As for archery, “it looks like a sporting activity but it is also therapy for the participants. It is an activity that has been carried out for years. It improves their muscles and they recover in a different way”.
For his part, the councillor of the socialist municipal group Hipólito Zapico pointed out that this activity “is very good for these women, not only on a physical level, but three days a week these friends get together, spend some time together and support each other, that is also the important thing about this activity, the encouragement they give to each other, all of them have gone through the same thing and this helps them to move forward. And here we are helping them as much as we can”.
“I want to thank the Sociedad de Cazadores who always participate in many activities in Mija”, said the councillor of the municipal group of Cs José Carlos Martín. “This activity is proven to be beneficial, it gives them strength, it makes their muscles stronger and, above all, here they have fun and a very pleasant time”, he added.
“When I think about cancer, I think about how bad it was for me, but I also think that if it wasn't for the disease, I wouldn't be as happy as I am now. For me archery has been wonderful. I feel like I'm in a garden with many roses and many thorns, but I enjoy it. I feel very happy with my teammates and I hope this continues and that we can enjoy it for many years", Pilar said excited. Without a doubt, archery was an idea that hit the bull's eye from the very first day.
Share it with this link: https://mijasint.com/?a=30696
