Nearly four years ago, Kate Sadler and Mandy Wilson came up with the idea of holding a Zumbathon® to raise money for Cancer Research, “a charity that saves lives by preventing, controlling and curing cancer” (CancerResearch.com). A Zumbathon® is “a special Zumba® extended length event that is usually held to support a cause” (Zumbaforhealth.com). The first event proved to be very successful, raising £5,450.29, so they decided to make it an annual occurrence and they have just completed the third one.
On the 24th March this year I was lucky enough to attend their third Zumbathon®, and what a success it was! The event was very atmospheric, with balloons and streamers covering all of the walls. The instructors were very bubbly and extremely motivated to get everyone moving. Everyone who came to take part in the event was dressed up in pink and glitter, with cancer affecting so many of our loved ones it was so inspiring to go out and see everyone trying their hardest to truly make a difference to these people’s lives. The event was three hours in length with three contrasting sections of Zumba®. The first was a range of different instructors from the local area and further afield who danced together, showcasing their favourite Zumba® tracks from around the world. The second was led by an instructor called Henda Corredor-Escalante from Venezuela who taught an hour of Zumba® Gold. He is an education specialist in Zumba® Gold which is “designed for active older adults who are looking for a modified Zumba® class that recreates the original moves loved by all at a lower-intensity” (Zumba.com). The third was led by Sarah-Anne Poutney, a Zumba® Jammer (teaching choreography to Zumba® instructors) who did a mixture of music and choreography from around the world.
For the first time, this year the event was given a theme and dress code of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. This is due to the fact that this year Katya Jones, a Russian dancer and last years’ winner of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ participated in the event. This is because Kate teaches at Zumba® her studio and asked her if she would like to be involved. She is also a local to the area where the Zumbathon® took place, Alton, and used to teach Zumba® herself.
I was lucky enough to be able to interview Kate, one of the masterminds behind the event, and ask her these questions:
Why do you do Zumba®?
Dancing is my passion and the way I choose to keep fit. The combination of dancing and music is so beneficial for the mind and body and I am literally hooked! To see people come into my class for the first time lacking in confidence but to leave with a big smile constantly feeds my passion.
How long have you been doing Zumba® for?
I started doing Zumba® when I lived in Washington DC back in 2010 and then became an Instructor in 2012.
What inspired you to start doing Zumbathons®?
I love to dance and combining this with raising money for charity and bringing the community of Alton together was enough inspiration. As instructors we work very much on our own, so I thought it would be wonderful if we could do something as a collective and use the wonderful resources and talent on our doorstep!
Does a lot of work go into them?
I'm exhausted and that's not from the 3 hours of Zumba®! The preparation behind the event is vast. We have to secure the building, meetings about regulations, safety procedures, organise the instructors, the staging, the lighting, the music, the refreshments, the stalls, raffle, the printing and promotion of the event etc. This is our 3rd Zumbathon® and we make new improvements each year. This year we added a screen so that the people at the back could see! We also organised a programme and sold advertising space as an extra fund raiser.
How much did the most recent Zumbathon® raise for cancer research?
2016- £5,450.29
2017 - £5,910.88
2018 - we are counting all the sponsorship money but figures are heading towards 7K
Do you have any particular reason for choosing cancer research?
So many friends and families around me have been affected by cancer. We send the money to Southampton Cancer Research UK so it all remains local.
Kate has said that she barely has time to catch her breath before they start planning next years! Which they hope to be bigger and better than ever.
By Mathilda Bower, Gumley House Convent School
