FROM sharing paddling skills to encouraging first-time paddlers, Nadi Bay Canoe Club is proving that the true strength of a team lies not only in how far it can paddle, but in how it helps others along the way.
Among those giving their time and experience to this effort is Semesa Patrick Vilise, an experienced paddler, trainer and coach who volunteers to prepare participating resort teams for Paddle4Cancer (P4C).
A member of Nadi Bay Canoe Club for six years, Semesa has been involved in the initiative since its beginnings in 2024, helping teams such as Castaway Island Resort prepare for the demanding ocean challenge. His role goes beyond teaching paddling techniques. He also helps paddlers build endurance, confidence and the mental strength needed to work together over long distances.
Based at Wailoaloa Beach, near Aquarius on the Beach Resort , Nadi Bay canoe club has become an important part of the event’s wider community, sharing its knowledge with teams who might otherwise have little experience in marathon canoe paddling.
For Semesa, however, preparing a crew for the 36-kilometre journey is about more than physical strength. It is about finding the right rhythm, maintaining positive energy and learning to move as one.
In a six-person outrigger canoe, known as a V6, every paddler has a role to play. The front two paddlers establish the rhythm and pace, those in the middle provide power, and the paddler at the back steers the canoe. Every stroke must work in harmony with the others, requiring communication, trust and coordination.
But even the strongest crew will face moments of fatigue.
Semesa believes that is when teamwork matters most. Encouraging one another, sharing a laugh or offering a few words of support can help lift the mood when the physical demands begin to take their toll. Maintaining those “good vibes” can make the difference between a crew simply enduring the distance and one finding its flow together.
It is this spirit of encouragement and shared purpose that makes Nadi Bay Canoe Club’s contribution to Paddle4Cancer so meaningful. Its members are not only preparing their own paddlers for the challenge; they are helping other teams discover the sport, build confidence and become part of a cause that reaches far beyond the ocean.
For Semesa, that cause carries a personal significance.
He knew Christian Pesamino through their shared community, church and school connections, and remembers Christian’s passion for paddling and the potential he saw in him as an athlete. Christian’s passing left a lasting impact, making Paddle4Cancer an opportunity for Semesa to contribute to something meaningful in his memory.
What began in 2024 with three teams: Castaway Island Resort, Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort and Nadi Bay Canoe Club has since grown to include Six Senses Resort Fiji. The increasing participation reflects the event’s growing reach, bringing together people of different backgrounds and ages, with more women also becoming involved in the sport.
On October 24th, the teams will take to the water for a 36-kilometre paddle from Castaway Island Resort to Aquarius on the Beach Resort in Wailoaloa, Nadi.
Beyond the physical challenge, every kilometre will help raise funds for the Christian Pesamino Leukemia Foundation and the Fiji Cancer Society, supporting their work with people and families affected by Leukemia.
And while only a few will be in the canoes, the wider community can still be part of the journey by sponsoring a paddler, donating, volunteering or coming out to cheer the teams on.
Through the dedication of volunteers like Semesa and the generosity of those who support the event, Paddle4Cancer continues to show that a shared purpose can bring people together — one team, one stroke and one kilometre at a time.
How You Can Support
Everyone can be part of the journey. Individuals and businesses can sponsor a paddler, donate, volunteer or come along to cheer the teams on.
To donate or get involved, contact:
• Mr Steven Andrews, Chair: 992 9202
• Mr Ashneel Chand, Vice Chair: 999 3789
• Mrs Leilani Tokalautawa, Treasurer: 707 3020 / 866 5057
Every contribution helps strengthen the community behind Paddle4Cancer, keeping Christian’s legacy alive and reminding families affected by cancer that they are not alone.
