Skip to player
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
Search
Connect
Watch fullscreen
Like
Comments
Bookmark
Share
Add to Playlist
Report
Watch: Qatar's cancer survivor paddles towards dragon boat success
euronews (in English)
Follow
29/07/2024
After conquering cancer as a teenager, Sherouk Mohamed Morsi takes on a different beast, testing her abilities in the demanding sport of dragon boat racing.
Category
🗞
News
Transcript
Display full video transcript
00:00
Dragon boat is the ultimate team sport.
00:04
It takes 20 paddlers and one steer and one drummer to work together in the same exact
00:09
synchronization.
00:10
It's physically and mentally challenging.
00:13
It needs the cooperation of your entire body.
00:15
You cannot stop until the finish line.
00:18
You have to start strong and you have to finish stronger.
00:21
Strength and endurance all the way.
00:22
The sport itself is very intense, however, it brings me peace and happiness when I am
00:28
in the boat.
00:29
My name is Shorouk Mohamed Morsi and I am a Dragon Boat Paddler.
00:42
We are Onslaught!
00:43
We are Onslaught!
00:44
We are Onslaught!
00:48
My team's name is Onslaught Racing, Dragons Qatar.
00:52
The name itself shows how competitive the team is.
00:56
We have two days a week for training, Fridays and Saturdays.
01:01
Sometimes we reach daily training in order just to maintain the performance.
01:07
It's always about long distance paddling and adjusting your technique and your form.
01:14
Technique trainings are mainly dissecting the move or the stroke.
01:18
This stroke actually consists of three to four parts.
01:23
You have the entry.
01:24
Your hands have to be outside the boat.
01:27
The second part is the drive, which is the actual pull of the water.
01:32
It's not only your arm muscle.
01:34
You need to push with your legs, contract your cores and use your back muscles to actually
01:38
pull.
01:41
Then we have the exit to emphasize the rotation of the body and the body movement.
01:47
Then the recovery.
01:48
The recovery is like slicing the paddle in a certain way so you can achieve a more aerodynamic
01:54
movement.
01:55
So you repeat every part of them for 20 to 30 times to get the entire synergy and synchronization.
02:05
When the race starts getting closer, you start focusing on the strength program or power.
02:11
I keep challenging myself.
02:12
I keep testing my abilities and my body.
02:15
I am very thankful and grateful for the ability to perform this sport and excel at it.
02:23
I was 17 years old when I got diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
02:28
I have gone into surgical treatment.
02:30
The following up treatments took two to three years to complete.
02:35
It was definitely a challenging time.
02:37
My emotions were low.
02:38
My energy was low.
02:39
I lost hope in everything, whether physically or mentally.
02:44
You start to question or doubt your abilities.
02:47
My family was very supportive and was there for me in every point.
02:51
Still, I didn't want them to go through a huge burden of my fluctuations of emotions.
02:59
I was always looking for an escape or an outlet.
03:02
By total coincidence, I found my passion.
03:08
Joining Doha Wireless Warriors had a great impact on me because I felt that I belonged
03:13
somewhere.
03:14
I belonged to a certain group.
03:17
The members are cancer survivors and supporters.
03:21
Our objective is to get strong, to build cancer awareness that there is life after cancer.
03:27
We choose the hot pink color because we are warriors.
03:30
It says we're alive and we're here.
03:32
We do race occasionally here at the beach.
03:34
It doesn't matter if we win.
03:36
We win because we're paddling.
03:37
Our priority is having a community for cancer survivors.
03:40
We always stop in the middle and we have a couple of moments of gratefulness.
03:44
It's kind of like meditation.
03:46
It's to honor those who have passed.
03:48
We're extra grateful to be alive and to be on the water.
03:52
Everyone is in the same boat.
03:54
We're just there for you.
03:57
Either you talk or you don't talk, we understand what you're going through.
04:03
After cancer, people think that we are back to normal.
04:07
I was struggling with forgetting, very difficult to focus.
04:13
When I joined the team, I learned that there's something called chemo brain.
04:17
I start to understand this is just a phase.
04:21
I will pass it.
04:22
Today, I feel super energetic.
04:25
I feel super happy.
04:27
I feel like I recharge again to go through another week.
04:34
Atomic motion or repetitive motion can have the same impact on the body as meditation.
04:42
You are repeating the same stroke over and over and over and over.
04:46
This actually helps your body to relax.
04:50
Doha Wireless Warriors was the first push for me.
04:53
Their accommodation and embrace was significant in building my character.
05:00
When I was able to heal.
05:03
I joined a more competitive team.
05:06
We have won so many medals, locally and internationally.
05:10
Right now, I am a certified international race official.
05:14
This sport has no limits.
05:16
Recently, we have started an initiative together with my teammates, Dragon Boat Regatta Qatar
05:22
works to unite local and global individuals or communities on Qatar grounds, organizing
05:29
races to enhance Qatar portfolio for the sport and to be able to host international
05:36
races here as well and eventually Asian Games or World Championship.
05:42
I'm working hard all the time to achieve the dreams.
05:46
The hustle continues.
05:47
I found out from Dragon Boat that you are powerful beyond measure.
05:52
You are capable beyond measure.
05:54
The sky is the limit.
05:59
www.DragonBoatWarriors.com
Recommended
8:43
|
Up next
Paddling against the tide: Cancer survivors find strength in dragon boating
The Star
03/01/2024
3:01
Gosport survivor is Standing Up to Cancer
The News, Portsmouth
25/10/2022
6:37
How Triathlete Mom is Outrunning Breast Cancer
reportr
16/04/2021
1:00
21yo Cancer Sick Young Man ran 5000km before dying in Canada - Terry Fox
Mister Buzz
17/09/2015
5:27
Inspiring stories of triumph: Cancer survivors in UAE share their journey of overcoming adversity
Gulf News
17/02/2025
3:04
Hair for Hope: A way to help cancer patients
Gulf News
12/02/2025
1:33
8-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Wins TT Gold In Moscow
Brut India
18/04/2025
12:00
MMA, pandas, and sustainability: the best of Qatar 365 in 2023
euronews (in English)
27/12/2023
1:35:25
Mistaking a crow for a phoenix Full Episode
Movie Coverage Trailers
today
1:05:47
[Eng sub] Divorce on Her Terms Full Episode
Movie Coverage Trailers
yesterday
1:16:00
Wanted by the Rogue Alpha Full Episode
Movie Coverage Trailers
2 days ago
1:41
Boys and Coach Rescued from Cave in Thailand
i24NEWS (English)
11/07/2018
56:05
Syrian Civil War Anniversary Special
i24NEWS (English)
15/03/2018
10:00
TRENDING | Bruno Mars steals the show at the Grammys | Monday, January 29th 2018
i24NEWS (English)
29/01/2018
0:51
double meaning question to Mathira
Best Right Way
08/07/2016
3:17
pc hotel lahore girl party
Best Right Way
07/04/2016
2:53
Most Beautiful Azan, Adan by Child
Best Right Way
17/03/2016
4:45
Latest news bulletin | July 12th – Evening
euronews (in English)
today
1:00
Slovakia aims to reach deal with EU on ending Russian gas supplies by Tuesday, Fico says
euronews (in English)
today
1:10
US to raise tariff rate on EU goods to 30% from 1 August, EU open to talks but ready to respond
euronews (in English)
today
1:05
Turkey's leader says PKK disarmament opens 'new page in history' after group lays down arms
euronews (in English)
today
0:55
Russia launched 26 missiles and 597 drones at Ukraine, Zelenskyy said
euronews (in English)
today
4:40
Latest news bulletin | July 12th – Midday
euronews (in English)
today
1:00
Engine fuel cutoff moments before Air India plane crash, preliminary report reveals
euronews (in English)
today
1:52
Could electric aeroplanes be the future of flight? Watch Denmark’s first test flight
euronews (in English)
today