A mountain to climb for a Dragon Boat for CUAN

At 80 years of age, Cavan Town man Mick Flynn is preparing to take on another Camino journey. This time with a special purpose. In early September, Mick will walk the 127-kilometre Camino Portugués from Lisbon to Fátima to raise funds for Cuan Cancer Support Centre in Cavan.

During a visit to the centre, Mick discovered that CUAN hopes to introduce dragon boating for its service users. The activity has become widely recognised for its physical and mental health benefits, particularly for breast cancer survivors and people living with lymphedema following lymph node removal. A standard dragon boat crew consists of 20 paddlers who are seated in 10 pairs. A new dragon boat costs approximately €20,000, but CUAN has the opportunity to purchase a second-hand boat for €12,500. That figure has become the target for Mick’s fundraising campaign. Having walked several Camino routes since 2012, Mick says each pilgrimage has been a spiritual experience. While he prefers to walk alone, he believes the Camino offers much more than physical exercise.

“You meditate without even knowing you’re meditating. It’s highly beneficial to me. It’s an easy way to exercise. At 80 years of age, I’m quite fit because I’ve always kept walking,” he says.

So this year, Mick will combine his love of exercise with an opportunity to support others. After learning more about the work of Cuan Cancer Support Centre, he decided the charity could benefit from his latest challenge. CUAN, which means “harbour” in Irish, provides psychological, emotional and social support services for people living with a cancer diagnosis, as well as their families and caregivers. The centre offers a safe, welcoming environment where people can access support throughout their cancer journey. Dragon boating provides an enjoyable way to rebuild confidence, improve wellbeing and connect with others who have shared similar experiences. At the same time, research has shown that the repetitive upper-body movements involved in paddling can improve shoulder mobility, build strength, encourage lymphatic drainage and help manage or prevent lymphedema.

“So many people are affected by cancer and CUAN provides support that’s hugely beneficial to people under stress - more than many realise,” Mick says, but thankfully “there’s so much goodwill to help people who are less fortunate.”