Five women who have suffered from cancer experience the adventure of the desert and the mythical Petra in its purest form during this eighth edition of the Pelayo Vida Challenge: they travel 285 kilometres by MTB, abseil the breathtaking Wadi al Mujib (1,300 m) next to the Dead Sea, cross the great dunes in the Wadi Rum desert, climb the second highest peak in Jordan, Jebel Rum (1,734 m), and dive into the clear, deep waters of the Red Sea from the historic port of Aqaba, which was the setting of one of the great battles led by Lawrence of Arabia. An endurance test for five women who proved that it was possible to overcome a disease such as cancer and that it will be possible to overcome this tough test in a spectacular setting, among Crusader castles, the hidden city of the Nabataeans and on the ancient routes of the large caravans.
How:
In the 7th century, present-day Jordan was conquered by the Caliph Omar in 1100 during the First Crusade, King Baldwin I of Jerusalem carried out several raids in the so-called Transjordan (beyond the Jordan, with the aim of controlling the camel caravans that crossed the territories of present-day Jordan. During the Crusades, the Franks took control of the whole region. Transjordan then became the “Lordship of Jerusalem”, a vassal of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which lasted until 1189, when the great Saladin occupied all of Transjordan, and remained under the rule of the Ayyubid dynasty until 1259, when it passed into the hands of the Mamluks and then into the hands of the Ottomans in 1517.
At present, Jordan is an Arab country on the eastern banks of the Jordan River, characterised by ancient monuments, nature reserves and coastal resorts. It is home to the well-known archaeological site of Petra, the Nabataean capital dating back to around 300 BC. Petra is nicknamed the “Pink City”, because it is located in a valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs.
The Pelayo Vida Jordania Challenge against cancer, now in its eighth edition, aims to spread the word about the benefits of exercising during and after cancer treatment by cycling, climbing and diving within one of the greatest cultural crossroads on Earth.
Why:
Jordan was the destination chosen for the sixth edition of the Pelayo Vida 2020 Challenge, but due to the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the next two editions, Vuelta España 2020 and 66 Norte 2021, had to be held in Atlantic waters to keep our crew members isolated. Over the eight editions, more than 1,800 women cancer survivors have entered the selection trials for Kilimanjaro’2015, Trasatlántica’2016, Polar’2017, Annapurna Bike’2018, Andes’2019, Vuelta España’2020, 66 Norte’2021 and Jordania’2022.
Five women who have suffered from cancer will have to mountain bike (MTB) 285 kilometres across the great desert dunes to the narrow canyons of Petra, abseil down the breathtaking Wadi al Mujib (1,300 m in three steps) next to the Dead Sea, climb the second highest peak in Jordan, Wadi Rum (1,734 m of rock) and dive into the crystal clear and deep waters of the Red Sea.
Our five expedition members will also have to face new and demanding experiences and challenges. This expedition has been created for the participants to be part of a team; as such, they will have to cope with the hardness of the route, sleeping few hours, eating in Bedouin tents, not always finding a shower available and keeping the spirit of the challenge alive during the almost two weeks of the expedition.
Moreover, Jordan has started a Sustainable Tourism campaign, whose main lines are as follows: “Stroll without destroying, visit without leaving a negative footprint, get to know without dirtying, discover without destroying, consume without polluting, offer services that respect the environment, all that and more is part of sustainable tourism”, something that all the expeditions of the Pelayo Vida Challenge in all its editions have been abiding by and for which it was recognised by NASA itself in the 2017 edition.
Luis Pablo García Coronado
HEAD OF THE EXPEDITION
A physiotherapist by profession, with 22 years of practice at the La Paz Hospital in Madrid, Carlos III and Cantoblanco. Manager of sports facilities and events since 2012. A lifetime linked to sport and sporting challenges, with 7 Ironman, more than 20 Half Ironman, 7 marathons with personal best of 2:38, one of the 15 people in the world to have completed an Ultraman Non Stop in 36 hours (10 km swimming, 420 km biking, 84 km running) and the most recent Finisher on Kilometrocero, Madrid-Finisterre on a bike and self-sufficiently in 100 hours. Always linked to sport, working on meditation as a coaching tool to help other athletes to achieve personal and sporting challenges. “For me it is an honour to have been chosen as head of the Pelayo Vida Challenge to be part of the VITAL transformation process that the five cancer survivor participants who will be able to Jordan will undergo and to provide all my experience and knowledge to overcome any difficulties we may encounter”, says Luis Pablo García Coronado. Luis Pablo was also deputy head of the Pelayo Vida Annapurna Bike 2017 Challenge.
Results
317
NEWS GENERATED
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(MILLION) MEDIA IMPACTS
ANTENA 3 TV 20.10.2022
MARCA TV 19.10.2022
TVE 24 HORAS 22.10.2022
TVG A REVISTA 11.10.2022