Hong Kong domestic helper's new passion for swimming helps her ‘forget' cancer diagnosis
'When I'm in the water, I feel like I have freedom – I forget that I have cancer.'
Cocoy Sabareza, a domestic helper in Hong Kong, learned to swim only four years ago, but that was far from all she overcame as she conquered the city's waters on Sunday.
The 54-year-old from the Philippines was one of hundreds to tackle the Hong Kong Four Beaches Challenge, a 3.3km (2.05-mile) swim in Sai Kung that she finished in under 1½ hours.
She was empowered to do so in 2021 by Splash Foundation, a local charity that teaches the city's domestic workers, refugees and disadvantaged communities to swim.
But shortly after that, in May 2022, she received a medical diagnosis that would change her life.
'When I finished the beginner class at Splash Foundation, I started doing open water with my friends,' Sabareza said. 'I started to love the water, but I was diagnosed with breast cancer.'
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