Three women , former cancer patients , who fought and overcame one of the toughest challenges that could happen to them . And the desire to prove to themselves, even before the world, that other challenges were within their reach.
Daniela Tocco, Donatella Mereu and Paola Zonza therefore accepted the proposal of Acentro per il Sociale to participate in the " Morocco Expedition Women Challenge ", a demanding mountain bike tour which, after adequate technical training and meticulous athletic preparation, saw them ride tracks and paths of Morocco , from the mountains to the desert, crossing small villages and remote settlements of Berber populations.
The start from the High Atlas mountain range, then the passage on the volcanic massif of Jebel Saghro to end up in the famous Draa Valley in a journey of 460 km in complete food and logistical autonomy , sleeping in small hostels and in one case even in a camp Berber on the edge of the desert.
Born from an idea of Michele Marongiu , ultracycling enthusiast and lover of adventure travel by bicycle, the project, which also sees the patronage of the Municipality of Cagliari and the Region of Sardinia, has materialized thanks also to the commitment and involvement of professionals of the highest level : among others Dr. Marco Scorcu , head of sports medicine of the Cagliari Assl and health manager of Cagliari Calcio, with his team; Dr. Rita Nonnis , breast surgeon of the Aou of Sassari; Dr. Claudia Collu , biologist and nutritionist of the expedition. And again coach Antonio Marino , the extreme explorer Maurizio Doro and Michele Marongiu himself together with Pierandrea Maxia , who immortalized this extraordinary endurance test on video.
The project had exclusively social aims . And the documentary film of the company, presented yesterday at the T Hotel in Cagliari in the presence of over 200 people, has only one goal: to motivate all women, especially those who face or will have to face very difficult life paths .
«The Morocco Expedition was a very demanding experience», the words of Paola Zonza . «But I'm happy to have participated because, during my illness, I had to abandon competitive sport and leave my team (after 10 years of basketball, Zonza played football in the ranks of Torres, ed). Thanks to this initiative I found myself in another team. I was hesitant, wondered how I could interact with them. Instead I was amazed by their extraordinary camaraderie».
"I don't know exactly what I feared the most", was Donatella Mereu 's comment. «Definitely the physical effort. But perhaps the emotional part was prevalent because, unlike my adventure companions, I still fight against the tumor while they, fortunately, have been declared cured. I came out stronger from this experience."
«Paola is right, when she talks about an extraordinary camaraderie», is the opinion of Daniela Tocco . «It was enough for us to look into each other's eyes to understand each other immediately and find a solution to any problem. It was a wonderful experience, just thinking about them makes me smile again. Of course, the disease put me to the test and left its mark, but it allowed me to learn new things».
(Unioneonline/vl)
