Paddle For The Cure: Panama

PANAMA CANAL, Panama - In the waters of the Panama Canal the first annual Crossing Panama – Taboga took place. We had the participation of stand up paddleboards, ourtigger canoes, kayaks, prone paddleboards and cayucos. A total of 170 athletes from Panama, Venezuela and Sweden paddled through the channel of the Panama Canal to arrive at the beautiful island of Taboga.

Paddlers started arriving at 6:00 a.m. to Veracruz, to get their gear ready for an early start. The day was perfect and the sun was starting to come up while the water temperature was around 79 degrees. At 7:15 a.m. the start horn went off and for next couple of hours it was fun time. The average time of paddling for the shortest distance was around 2:00 hrs.

Paddlers covered distances of 11.5 km, 21km and 24 km going from Panama City to the island of Taboga. At 8:45 a.m. the first Cayucos started coming through the finish line, followed by prone paddleboards, SUPs, outrigger canoes and kayaks and by 11:00 a.m. all paddlers had finished there crossing.

Being an activity of paddling for the cure, everyone was a winner and they all received a FINISHER’s medal. The objective of the paddle was a success! All participants were winners, but above all the members of the Non-Profit Organizations were acknowledged and supported in a new way. Paddlers, for the first time, came forward to a calling of giving themselves to create awareness of the dedication many people have in the organizations they lead, as well as sending a message of happiness, hope and solidarity to those fighting with health issues and conditions.

Funds received by our sponsors have been donated equally to four Non-Profit Organizations; them being FundAyuda, Fundacion Soy Capaz, Fundacion Valorate and Fundacion Jesus, Luz de Oportunidades, each one having their own specialty and objective.

We are looking forward to making this an iconic annual event in the beautiful city of Panama in the waters of the Panama Canal.

To view photos from the event, check out the gallery below.

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