The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

AFTER discovering that one of its members had been diagnosed with breast cancer, the Bahamas Gymnastics Parents Booster Club (BGPBC) made it its duty to keep cancer awareness at the top of their charitable efforts throughout the year.

The mothers came together recently to display a passion for pink, honouring the bravery of Hyancinth Pinnock, who was diagnosed with the condition two years ago. The “Flips For The Cure” event featured recreational and skilled gymnasts, who displayed their talents in floor exercises, vault performances, on the uneven bars and balance beam.

“People were impressed,” said Nicola Thompson, the BGPBC director. “Susan Roberts, one of the founders of The Cancer Society, she attended and was blown away. So did Andrea Sweeting, of the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group. They both spoke positively.”

While they may not have met their target fundraising goal, Ms Thompson said in the end the event was more geared towards awareness than proceeds.

“We are looking for the event to be annual now and to be held during the cancer month. Whether people attend the event or not, our E-blast and social media efforts helped people to become more aware of the cause. We got a lot of that and now, having the footage from the event on the Bahamas Sports Network, continues to raise the awareness for it,” said Ms Thompson.

She believes Ms Pinnock’s story opened their eyes to the things women often take for granted. “One of the things we discovered in her story was that she wasn’t doing regular self checks, examining herself or getting the mammograms done. It brought to light how many times we take for granted, doing the steps towards preventative care,” said Ms Thompson.

She remembers after receiving the news, the mothers all wanted to plaster the gym in pink with posters saying “gym moms go and have a mammogram done” or at least perform weekly self checks. “This is how real it became to us that we take things for granted,” she reiterated.

Ms Pinnock herself told the parents: “Don’t do what I did, just take the necessary steps.”

As there are a lot of young girls who participate in the gymnastics club, Ms Thompson said she realised they will all grow into women some day and it is important to get across to them the message of preventative care while they are youthful.

“Again, because one of our own was affected, it really brought this home to us in a very real way that someone could be sitting next to you and you are thinking that they are taking preventative measures to protect themselves, and they are not. As human beings we start to get into routines and some things just fall by the wayside. As women we can neglect taking care of us, we need just that little nudge to remind ourselves to take care our our health,” she said.