Archery, the best therapy for those affected by breast cancer
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In 2016, Dr. Domingo Hipola from the Infanta Leonor Hospital in Madrid looked at archery as a possible therapy for breast cancer patients. Lymphedema, one of the most common consequences of this type of cancer, manifests itself in one of the arms: a swelling forms when lymph accumulates due to poor circulation. Hipola, also being an archer, thought that his sport could be a good way for those affected to move and exercise the affected arm. «The vibrations produced by the bowstring when releasing the arrow are transmitted through the arm and improve lymph drainage, reducing inflammation in the arm. In addition, joint mobility in the shoulders is worked on a lot, which is very good since most of them have muscular affections,” explains goalkeeper Borja Goñalons.
When it was pA resident of the Club d’Arc Mahó, in 2018, he found out that this therapy existed, which he found “a very interesting initiative.”. «I saw a news in the press that they were doing this in Madrid, so I spoke with the technical director of the Spanish Archery Federation, Almudena Gallardo, and I also got in touch with the Consell’s Sports technician at that time , Carmen Sunyerwho joined the bandwagon,” says Goñalons about the first conversations he had in September of that same year.
The six archers in this year’s program, along with instructor Borja Goñalons in one of their training sessions | Gemma Andrew
From pioneer to president
That’s how he got it In 2019, the first promotion of female goalkeepers with breast cancer will join the club.from which the current president of the entity, María Fernández, would end up leaving. Although in her youth she had been a sporty and very active girl, even practicing tennis or volleyball, Fernández “was totally unaware” of archery. “I didn’t even know what an arch looked like,” he says, laughing.
His entry into the club came from the advice of the Mateu Orfila oncology service.. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my right breast and I underwent chemotherapy,” she begins, becoming emotional when she remembers that her sister Rosario had gone through the same process half a year before her. «She was the one who insisted that I get checked and that was when they discovered it. Luckily, They caught it on time and I didn’t need radiotherapy. Due to this background, since we were both sisters, they chose to perform double mastectomies on both of us. After all this, they offered us entry into the archery program and we both entered at the same time,” says the current president. “We already started and it was non-stop,” he says, recovering his smile.
An archer prepares to shoot at a target | Gemma Andrew
Special focus
“Usually, when a person starts archery we look at which eye is dominant, to choose whether they are going to shoot like a right-handed or a left-handed shot,” explains Goñalons. But in the case of those affected by breast cancer it is different. «We have to prioritize the affected arm because it is the one that has to hold the bowwhether they are right or left handed. We find cases of people who have to shoot right-handed while being left-handed and vice versa. At first it is a little more complicated, but apart from this and the fact that they have to have their arm protected to avoid possible hits with the rope, the rest is quite similar,” he says.
He fact of being able to integrate as one more in the group It helps users like María forget about the situation that has brought them there and find a new space for socialization. «We have meetings, lunches, dinners… and the process is not talked about. “Now we are friends,” she sums up. Likewise, adherence to competitive sports is added by participating in island, regional and national championships.
Since it started five years ago, More than one hundred people affected by breast cancer have passed through the Club d’Arc Mahó programof which twenty have remained in the entity once the disease was overcome. A success that has been extended to the Club d’Arc Ciutadella, where they also participate in the same program that promotes the oncology service of the Menorca Health Area.
