Five women who have overcome cancer will travel to Senegal for the 2026 Reto Pelayo Vida. The 17-day expedition includes about 600 kilometres by mountain bike, plus kayak crossings.
Madrid hosted the presentation of the 2026 expedition on 13 and 14 October. Quirónsalud has completed medical assessments for the five participants and will again serve as the Official Medical Provider.
The 12th Reto Pelayo Vida will take the women across Senegal for 17 days. The planned route covers about 600 kilometres by mountain bike, along with kayak crossings.
The checks assessed Milena Amelibia and Irantzu Pinillos. Noemi Carrasco and Vanesa Amigo also underwent assessments. Marta García was checked as well. The five were selected from more than 500 applicants across nine countries.
The route will demand prolonged physical effort and expose the participants to environmental conditions different from those they usually face.
The expedition is scheduled to leave Madrid for Dakar on 24 November. From the Dakar coast, the group plans to head south towards the tropical region of Casamance. The itinerary combines cycling with kayak crossings and tests physical and psychological endurance.
Reto Pelayo Vida is a social and sporting initiative involving Pelayo Seguros and the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology, known as SEOM. Its stated aim is to promote prevention and early detection of female cancers. The initiative also seeks to show that life after illness can include new projects and demanding goals. At the Madrid presentation, an oncologist highlighted physical activity as an additional form of support for people with cancer.
The focus on life after treatment also features in a separate discussion in Spain about how to measure recovery beyond survival. Broader measures of recovery include lasting symptoms and the ability to return to everyday life.
The five participants are scheduled to travel from Madrid to Dakar on 24 November, ahead of the planned 17-day expedition through Senegal.
