The sea heals

With your help, we will be able to establish the first medical study focused on the assessment of sports as a therapy, in this case testing Stand Up Paddle. Every donation Will brings us one step closer to validating the therapeutic benefits of Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and providing new treatment opportunities to those who need it most.

A high percentage of people with musculoskeletal pathologies, especially those affected by rare diseases, mostly when they reach adulthood, have the risk of being lost in the medical system, without effective support that may help them improve their quality of life also due to the severe disabling pain that they suffer. Some examples of these chronic illnesses are Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Lupus, Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, Psoriatic Arthritis, Sjogren's Syndrome, Scleroderma, among others.

There ever more clinical studies which demonstrate the increasing benefits of practicing sports. The Blue Soler Therapeutic SUP project also aims to create a safe and inclusive space where people with disabling pathologies can participate in a comprehensive health program.

Blue Soler Program. The initial phase of the Blue Soler Therapeutic SUP pilot project is being carried out thanks to the support from Fundació Glòria Soler, a philanthropic organization that promotes inclusive projects linked to society and health.

After several months, the pilot project started last April 2024 with the participation of our 8 patients who will follow a scheduled physical program for 3 months. Their experience during this time will help us draw medical results and conclusions.

The differentiating aspect from the program Blue Soler is that it goes beyond the usual recreational activities based on Stand Up Paddle, and instead it intends to launch the first pan-European medical evaluation of this sport. In order to carry out a medical evaluation of the physical and psychological benefits of Stand Up Paddle for people with disabling pathology, we have established a collaboration with specialized professionals in Sports Medicine, who are responsible for performing functional tests on the participants before the start of the program. and once the program is finished, to assess, evaluate and compare the results.

Impatient patients. We accompany impatient patients in this process, being aware of the added difficulty they face, and always adapting the sports experience to their own reality and their needs.

In sports there are as many realities as there are athletes. The therapeutic SUP activity program takes place at the Blue Salt School SUP & Surf school, located in an incomparable natural environment, which offers exclusive access to a natural saltwater pool area, with instructors specialized in Stand Up Paddle and surfing, physical education experts and physiotherapists who carry out personalized monitoring of the participants.

The project has the support from the Catalan Surfing Federation and the International Surf Therapy Organization. It also has the support from several patient´s organizations who have provided their secondment from the very beginning: Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita patients´ Association; Reumas-Catalan Rheumatological League of patients; Sjögren Spain patients’ Association; Ceade-Ankylosing Spondylitis; AsGlutdiece Association. And we hope that, being a collaborative project, over time, the number of organizations will also grow.   

Will you help us make this project possible?

Your collaboration will be essential in order to carry out the 2nd phase of the Blue Soler project, provide continuity to the initial project, and to be able to perform the necessary medical evaluations that will mean that Blue Soler becomes the 1st therapeutic program within Europe to demonstrate the benefits of Stand Up Paddle for disabling illnesses.

Once we complete our yearly project, we will then be able to start sharing the knowledge gained, as well as good practices with other national and international SUP & Surf schools. 

Sport means better health and a greater life!

Help us continue creating therapeutic sports programs while building more inclusive societies!