Five women who have overcome cancer are preparing for the eleventh edition of the Reto Pelayo Vida, a challenge that will take them across Costa Rica from coast to coast. They will start on the sands of the Pacific, cover hundreds of kilometers on mountain bikes, trek through the tropical rainforest, navigate rapids while rafting, and finally paddle up the Pacuare River by kayak until they reach the Caribbean Sea.
Pedal after pedal, whirlpool after whirlpool, they will prove that no adversity—neither mud nor humidity—can stop human determination, and each stage they conquer will be a cry of inspiration for thousands of survivors: limits exist to be conquered.
The Reto Pelayo Vida faces its eleventh edition with an exceptional journey through Costa Rica, a country where the jungle, volcanoes, and two oceans come together. Over 15 days of adventure, the team will set off from the Pacific beaches and, on their mountain bikes, blaze a trail into the tropical interior. After cycling hundreds of kilometers, the five female explorers will venture on foot into the jungle, raft down the rapids, and paddle by kayak along the legendary Pacuare River until they reach the waters of the Caribbean Sea. It will be the first “coast-to-coast” journey in Costa Rica exclusively led by women who have overcome cancer. The five chosen, selected from 523 candidates from 9 countries, will prove that the strength of life can cross any border.
Costa Rica, a natural corridor of active volcanoes, lush jungles, and untamed rivers, symbolizes life in its most vibrant state. For the five women of the Reto Pelayo Vida 2025, this “coast-to-coast” journey is much more than a sporting itinerary: it is a message of resilience and courage. As they traverse a land where every kilometer demands courage, mud, tropical heat, impossible slopes, and roaring rapids, they challenge every limit and emphasize the importance of research, early detection, and physical activity in the fight against cancer. This eleventh edition continues a saga of epic challenges, reminding us that those who dream and fight for a better future know no borders, while inspiring millions of survivors to keep moving forward.
When you receive news like that, everything else loses importance. Cancer changes your perspective: suddenly, you start to put things into perspective, and only what truly matters gains value, life, family, friends, time shared. And that’s when you realize how much time you’ve wasted on things that, compared to this, were irrelevant.
Born in Albacete
Lieutenant Colonel in the Civil Guard
I’m always looking for something to keep me going. I always find the bright side of things, no matter how bad they are, there’s always something to smile about and be grateful for.
Born in Logroño
Accounting Clerk
The cancer diagnosis brought everything to a halt. But despite the fear and uncertainty, I decided it wouldn’t define my story, instead, it would be the starting point to transform it. Today, two years later, I can say it became the driving force that inspires me to live with more intensity, purpose, and gratitude.
Born in Torrecampo, Córdoba
Investment Banking
Life always begins whenever you want it to, and in one year, I started my life three times—stronger and with more drive.
Born in Huelva
Maritime Agent at the Nao Victoria Foundation
We all know very well what that moment of diagnosis is like, the one that, sooner or later, 'paralyzes' you; in my case, right in the middle of the pandemic, in lockdown, there were no hugs... and I was clear about it: keep going, be strong, and learn to allow myself all the moments of weakness needed to overcome them and be able to say: 'I did it! We did it, and we’re going for it all!'
Born in Ibi, Alicante
Clinical Research and Nutrition
“Carlos Martínez, an emergency physician from Seville, is an expert in Expedition Medicine and High-Altitude Pathology. Since 2011, he has been the guardian of health on the expeditions of the legendary Carlos Soria, accompanying him in his epic quest to conquer the Fourteen Eight-Thousanders. Facing the challenges of the Himalayas, he has provided medical care, overseen acclimatization, and participated in studies on human adaptation to high altitude.
Beyond the summits, Carlos has served as an Emergency Physician aboard helicopters and Advanced Life Support ambulances. He has also advised mountaineering federations and trained adventurers in mountain first aid and frostbite treatment. A true explorer of medicine in the most extreme places on the planet.
