Staff Reporter
ILoveBoobies, a local charity organisation advocating for cancer awareness through educational tools, early detection services and support, will be fielding an all-woman team at next month’s Nedbank Desert Dash Race, which takes place between 9 to 10 December on the Windhoek and Swakopmund routes.
Nedbank Namibia is the biggest contributor to the local cycling fraternity and has also committed to being a partner of the charity organisation. ILoveBoobies’ four-member ladies’ team is made up of Jana von Backström, Vicky Vosloo, Mimi Hough, and Jonie Peters.
The team will take part in one of the world’s longest single-stage mountain bike events, which attracts well over 900 local and international cyclists annually.
Von Backström, a passionate cyclist, shared that Nedbank Namibia sponsored the team entry for the race and that they will give it their all as they ride for a good cause.
“Our aim is to match the entry fee with donations from the public to contribute to the Early Detection Saves Lives Breast Cancer screening programme of ILoveBoobies.
Breast cancer is a concerning problem and through the power of education and awareness, the risk to the lives of our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and nieces can be radically reduced. A little-known fact is that men get breast cancer too, whilst the incidence is lower, anyone with breast tissue is at risk,” said von Backström.
ILoveBoobies, a South African non-profit organisation, has been operating in Namibia for two years now, and provides free breast cancer screenings to women who face financial challenges.
Significant challenges for those affected by breast cancer include financial barriers, inequality in access to care, and inadequate support. Breast cancer is both the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide.
One in eight women (13%) of all women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women. About 85% of breast cancer occurs in women who have no family history of the disease. In some countries, up to 30% of women are unaware of breast cancer.
Early detection followed by appropriate treatment is recognised globally as the most effective method to reduce breast cancer mortality. Most women who die from breast cancer live in low and middle-income countries, where most women are diagnosed in late stages due to a variety of factors.
ILoveBoobies screening programme is funded through donations, event entries, fundraising, and merchandise sales. ILoveBoobies has an online store (www.iloveboobies.co.za) offering a variety of running, cycling, and leisure items: socks, buffs, cycling jerseys, and T-shirts.
The charity has enjoyed amazing support from the Namibian cycling community in the past two years and hopes to see the support continue at this year’s Nedbank Desert Dash. It is as simple as buying a pair of socks that could save a woman’s life. For every five pairs of socks sold by the charity, they will screen one woman for breast cancer.
Speaking about the sponsorship, Nedbank Namibia’s communications manager Selma Kaulinge said: “The Nedbank Namibia Desert Dash has certainly become so much more than just a cycling event, as it has certainly transcended the sporting foundation, and has now also become an inspiration for a number of participants to take on the gruelling journey through the Namib Desert for a good cause.”
Upon taking over the title sponsorship of the Desert Dash eight years ago, Nedbank Namibia invested over N$8 million.
This year, cyclists have registered to race across the three categories: solo men and women, and two- and four-member teams. Cyclists from the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, USA, Germany, Canada, Germany, Zimbabwe, UK, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, Botswana, Malawi, DR Congo, France, and Austria will take part in the event.