Because functional sailing is perfect therapy for women who face a disease

Getting up a sailing boat and sailing is not any experience. It is an adventure that allows you to meet the sea through the sail; It is a path that guarantees a physical and psychic empowerment. It happens because in order to be on a sailing boat it is necessary to participate in the on -board life, learn the rules for a good coexistence with the crew with which you must cooperate respecting precise rules and accepting those imposed by navigation.

“It is widely recognized by numerous studies and clinical experience that to promote the well-being of patients in general, and oncological ones in particular, it is not enough to treat the disease, but it is essential to also take into account the psycho-relational aspect. For this it is also necessary to adopt psycho-social approaches that feed self-esteem, “he explains Giuliana Gemelliprofessor at the faculty of letters and philosophy of the University of Bologna, as well as president of the Foundation Big for the humanization of the treatment in the blood-oncological field. It promotes projects that favor the improvement of patients’ living conditions – especially young adults during hospitalizations and in day -hospital in the onco -hematology departments – with activities and programs of various kinds, including sports activities such as riding and sailing, art, music, creative writing workshops.

Together with the Armilologist Francesco LanzaProfessor Gemelli also edited the book We win life, Downloadable free of charge in PDF from the website of the Baskerville publishing house, which it tells through various interventions of experts, of the path of humanization of care and how precisely the latter affect the quality of life of patients in general and on the oncological ones in particular.
«What does a group of women pushes, who are or have been oncological patients, to live a adventure in a wild island like Caprera? What drives them to attend one of the hardest seafood school in the Mediterranean? Maybe unconsciousness? Of course, maybe that’s there », comments the skipper Lello Sansone within the book, about the experience of the sail. «For sure, when a group of psychologists from the Milan Statale published the notice of participation in the project”Patients on board“A massive answer would never have been expected. In less than a week, more requests for participation arrived in the face of an availability of only one hundred and fifty places. Needless to say, most of these women had no idea what sailing was and less than ever of the living conditions of the school. Motivations that had a common root emerged from the interviews made for admission: hope in a change of life. All were available to face an experience that, at the same time, fascinated them and frightened them ».

When establishing a path of care, it is important to focus on the relationship with nature, and today this aspect is increasingly recognized, as it is able to produce an inner regeneration effect. “That’s why sport as a sailing and horse riding in particular are among the main activities promoted by our Foundation”, explains the president of Grande Jun. «The sail, for example, responds to all vital inputs, uncertainty and sense of risk included, which represent the challenges of life that in case of illness are felt more pressing. Perhaps for this reason, when proposed, the experience of the sailboat finds such a wide consensus ».

The benefits of functional sailing

Following this reasoning, the Grande Down Foundation has started completely original paths that make use of different medical, humanistic, relational, psycho-social skills related to sport and sailing in particular. “The association has put together a team of therapists, led by the good wind of sharing and an extraordinary skipper, who is also a brilliant technician and a skilled director. Thanks also to the constant collaboration of a psychologist with a great experience in the field of oncological patients – and with the support of theSanta Maria delle Croci Hospital of Ravenna and of the Amatologist Francesco Lanzawe managed to activate various paths of sailerapymore precisely than functional sail»Says the Professor, who adds:” We have chosen this terminology to distinguish our path and our purposes from the so -called veley that have the main purpose of fun and the ability to relax. The sailors who choose to make use of a functional sailing path live a full immersion experience which is also training, acquisition of skills and attention to the natural context, but also to other adventure companions. In conclusion, an experience in all respects is revealed for those who take part in you, sick and not. The activities of our Foundation, in fact, never get tired of underlining that the humanization of care to be such must include the rebirth of a relationship of dialogue, collaboration and empathy between doctor and patient “.