I, who have climbed the Tirquino peak, the highest mountain point in Cuba, four times through Santiago de Cuba, can hardly imagine the dimension of ascending Teide (3,718m), the highest elevation in Spain, from Playa del Socorro to the level from the sea and covering a route of 33 kilometers and almost 4,000 meters accumulated in about nine hours.
I imagine the gasping breath, the forces at the limit, the biological fuel “tank” calling on the reserves, the dawn and the sunset dictating the start and the finish line, and on the horizon… the dreams, the motivation, that combination that makes Reinier Peñarroche and his army of the Cuban Trail Team scattered throughout a dozen countries continue to believe that at every step the world can be transformed for the better.
That is why they challenge the mountains, they try to get closer to the sky, not to look down on their peers, but to look for points of convergence in favor of the preservation of the environment, and of a cause as ennobling as the human condition itself: to contribute with funds and actions to research and fight against cancer.
The Cuban Trail Team is, at the height of our days, a multicultural family, with an unusual genesis of Cubanness and united by ties that honor its Martian paradigm that “climbing mountains is a sister to men”, imbricated with an adage of our popular phraseology: “Let the one who has the brake stop.”
And yes, they certainly seem to be a group of fireproof men and women, with an impressive unifying capacity, who today easily exceed a hundred members and who defy heights, or surrender them at their feet in search of dreams, careers, solidarity, well-being , change…
Thus, what began as an initial experience of fun for Reinier and a small group of friends, sealed with a good Cuban rum and a cigar, has been, since April 19, 2019, a way of life, a way of persevering, challenging impossible, create a culture of brotherhood and discipline, and, in the particular case of Reinier, change the course of his existence since the birth of his son, focused on becoming that mirror in which his little one can always be reflected, example and referent.
Beating Cuba at every step is like breathing
Reinier is a Crack, I would like to define as such this biomedical engineer, graduated from the Marta Abreu Central University of Villa Clara, inveterate lover of baseball and Sancti Spiritus roosters, ninth from his native land; who has been able to extend that culture of Trail Running or mountain running to, in addition to Spain and Cuba, the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Venezuela, England, Chile and Peru.
For this reason, this Sunday’s event, in which the Cuban Trail Team’s Antillean team was officially established, sculpted with members from all over the country and strengthened in times of the Covid 19 pandemic, became a first victory, especially after having disputed the Cacahual Trail this Saturday, defying the frigid temperatures and with a real expression of everything built for more than two years, Atlantic Ocean in between.
In addition, the calendar of the Cuban Trail Team was presented in the domestic scenarios for this 2022, which includes from May 20-22, three stages for the Trail Planta Cantú in the Escambray of Sancti Spiritus; the second edition of Plogging in Cuba on June 5; the Pink October; the race for Diabetes in November; and Movember in that same month. All as part of crucial objectives such as growing in membership, and materializing concrete actions in favor of environmental preservation and the fight against cancer.
Commenting on the essence of the Cuban Trail Team, Peñarroche, a disciplined and persevering dreamer told Cubasí: “It is about adding people with a habit of playing sports as a large community or family, and promoting common values such as discipline and perseverance.
Our main activity is Trail Running (mountain races) and also asphalt races in all its forms. We do other sports such as swimming, cycling, paddle tennis, tennis, judo, triathlon, duathlon and mountain biking (MTB), although to a lesser extent.
Thus, the backbone of the club or board of directors of this great family is made up of Reinier Peñarroche as president; Yuniel Castro, Vice President; Gerard Gumbau, secretary; Jordi Valladares, treasurer and Roberto Carlos, as member.
Regarding the germination of Trail Running in our country, Peñarroche commented that “it is about impregnating that idea of, as Cubans, leaving traces and a piece of our roots wherever we go, at any latitude we run, any elevation we challenge.
In Cuba we initially tried to awaken that interest in going to the mountains and that is already a fact. As well as the bonds of friendship that we have strengthened in almost all the provinces of the country. Now with clearer and more earthly objectives, because in order to contribute by raising funds in their races or events, they have teamed up with the NGO Camaquito International, thanks to good friend Mark Kuster.
In Cuba they aspire to break or create some record that could well be craving to run up the Pico Turquino, cross the Escambray… That added to the participation in solidarity events to maintain the essence and meaning of each kilometer traveled, as happens especially in Spain with the Fero Foundation ( https://fero.org/ ) with which they collaborate in races so that the profits raised are used in research and the fight against cancer.
Humanism on the surface, as well as the feeling of carrying Cuba and our flag in every challenge. “It is the greatest feeling in the world, we are very proud of who we are and where we come from. We are defenders of our roots and our culture, and that is precisely what characterizes us and differentiates us from the rest of the teams.
The sister Cuban Trail Team, and as Peñarroche says, the “horses of Attila” are the members of the club, common men, with stories carved under the strength of their legs. Thus we find the footsteps of Raúl García Cuervo, who ran uninterruptedly for 300 days; or Higinio Hernández, who on his 64th birthday and after more than 20 editions of Marabana played on his legs, ran 64 kilometers.
Or Luis Edel, who accumulated 4,000 in a year and devoured 320 kilometers by bike, 60 running and a triathlon in one weekend; and Mr. Meneses, capable of traveling more than a hundred kilometers in one day on two occasions.
As Peñarroche himself would say: Brutal!!! As are humility, the desire to transform the world into a habitat of good, to continue dreaming, running, loving… sisterly and definitely without brakes.
