Five women who overcame cancer star in the eighth edition of the Pelayo Vida Challenge in Jordan. They cover 285 kilometers by mountain bike, rappel in Wadi al Mujib (1,300 m), climb Jebel Rum (1,734 m), cross the Wadi Rum desert, and dive in the Red Sea. They face a demanding physical and mental challenge in unique settings such as Petra, the hidden city of the Nabateans, and ancient caravan routes. From Aqaba, the historic port of Lawrence of Arabia, they prove that overcoming cancer is possible and that facing extreme challenges is too, in an environment full of history and epic landscapes.
The eighth edition of the Pelayo Vida Challenge takes place in Jordan, a land rich in history and culture, part of the ancient ‘Fertile Crescent’. With a heritage shaped by civilizations such as the Nabateans, Romans, and Arabs, Jordan stands out for its cultural diversity and iconic landscapes. Among them is Petra, the famous “Rose City” with temples and tombs carved into sandstone cliffs. This challenge aims to highlight the benefits of physical exercise during and after cancer treatment. Five women who have overcome the disease will cycle, climb, and dive in historic settings, promoting personal growth in a unique cultural crossroads.
Jordan was the chosen destination for the sixth edition of the Pelayo Vida Challenge 2020, although the pandemic delayed the challenge until 2022. In its eight editions, more than 1,800 women cancer survivors have participated in selection trials for expeditions such as Kilimanjaro, Transatlantic, Polar, and Annapurna Bike. In this challenge, five women will cover 285 km by bike, crossing dunes and canyons, rappelling in Wadi al Mujib (1,300 m), climbing Wadi Rum (1,734 m), and diving in the Red Sea. For nearly two weeks, they will face demanding challenges with few comforts, sleeping in tents and working as a team. The Pelayo Vida Challenge also adopts sustainable tourism practices, aligned with Jordan’s campaigns, promoting environmental respect and minimizing impact, values recognized even by NASA in 2017.
Fears and doubts arise with cancer. Your head is in a frenzy and you have no rest, but you insist that this is not going to stop you. You start saying: "Always one more step. Yes, you can do it." You see that there are thousands of precious lives to live.
Born in Lugo
Bidding and Public Procurement Technician
The diagnosis of cancer shattered my life project, but now, almost two years later, I have managed to fit all my pieces into a puzzle with a very special shine.
Born in Talavera de la Reina
Rehabilitation Technician
The tragedy the word cancer imbued me with at the beginning became an opportunity to value, love, appreciate, improve and move on.
Born in Barcelona
Firefighter at the City Hall
Cancer brings you to a halt, shatters all your projects and makes you vulnerable, but it is up to you how you want to deal with it. Your attitude makes a difference.
Born in Zaragoza
Head of the Analytical Accounting Unit
The word cancer is scary, but I embraced it, it transformed me and taught me to live right now and enjoy life as if each moment were my last.
Born in Madrid
Executive Secretary
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 travel 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.
