media_artricles :: 2016

Shukla wins Scotia north 5K

Thousands of women flocked to the country's roadways yesterday as Scotiabank hosted its 18th annual Women Against Breast Cancer 5K with races starting simultaneously in Portof- Spain, San Fernando and Lowlands in Tobago at 4pm.

The event is open only to women with all proceeds going to the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society.

Speaking to the crowd of females - young and old - gathered in front of the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) at the Queen's Park Savannah, Anya Schnoor, Senior Vice President of Scotiabank South and East Caribbean, expressed her excitement with the event's growth.

"The race initially started off with 300 women 18 years ago and the attendance (this year) totalled over 7000 women nationwide." The event saw women of all walks of life coming together for the common goal to raise awareness and public knowledge of the deadly disease. It also featured a zumba warm-up session conducted by Nadia Lorick and Andy Josiah from 'Zumba with Nadia' as well as the added element of some women donating their actual hair towards victims of breast cancer with the hope of encouraging more women to follow suit.

One of the volunteers yesterday who snipped her locks, Keshari Pragg, in an interview with Newsday, gave an insight into her reason for her bold show of support in opting to cut her hair on the spot.

"I had an aunt and a friend, who was a gym instructor, that suffered from breast cancer and seeing how the disease can deteriorate such healthy people, this is as little as possible (I can do) because hair will always grow back," she stated, while promising to be back in 2017 at possibly one of the other locations.

The race was conducted by the Trinidad and Tobago Road Runners Club and was won in a time of 19 minutes and 28 seconds by Samantha Shukla who was followed by Alana Lee Woo with a time of 22.45 and Jehann Jardine who finished third in 23.01. Also crossing the finish-line was fouryear- old Makena Vialva, accompanied by her mother Mavis Vialva who declared, "the run was more exciting this year with her by my side." St. Augustine Girls' High School (SAGHS) was represented in abundance as they usually win the 'Biggest Team Trophy' at the event. Members of Mrs. Balgaroo's form five class expressed their enthusiasm in their first ever breast cancer event stating that they were glad to see the level of sisterhood and support throughout the country for survivors and women suffering from the disease.

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