HEMOPHILIA AND CYCLING IN FACTOR8 CYCLING PROJECT BY PAU SALVA
Pau Salvà creates Factor8 Cycling Project, an initiative that pretends to unite the cycling and the hemophilia with the objective to collect funds and to inspire the people that suffer from this pathology to practice sport.
Pau Salvá, a professional cyclist who is 36 years old and a native from Alicante, suffers from hemophilia from many years ago. A condition that he has tried to carry on with naturalness and that has not stopped him from achieving his goals in his sports career. “The hemophilia is a hereditary condition. 30 years ago probably we would see it as a disease. Me personally, from a long time, I’ve taken it as condition that has made me stronger”.
The hemophilia is a hereditary hemorrhagic disorder in which the blood doesn’t coagulate in the correct way. This can cause spontaneous bleedings after an operation or an injury. The blood contains many proteins, named coagulation factors, which in a normal situation, they help to stop the bleeding. The people with hemophilia have a lack of this coagulation factor 8 or 9, due to this they have difficulty to coagulate in a natural way.
Pau was born with hemophilia A, characterized by having low coagulation factor 8 in the blood, from there the name of this beautiful project. Factor8 Cycling project was born with the objective of inspiring the people that suffer from hemophilia, raising the awareness of the population about this pathology, share knowledge and help to research to improve the quality of life of its patients.
The active implication of Pau through the cycling comes from 2016, when he created the project #pedaleaporlahemofilia which he is an ambassador of and that was supported by the pharmaceutical Bayer. Company that has supported him since his beginnings and that still shines as his sponsor.
Pau Salva participates in MTB races around the world in Cross Country Marathon (XCM), a tough discipline that requires training that involves at least 30 hours of training per week. “I have participated in races such as Colina Triste, Mediterranean Epic, Andalucia Bike Race, Alps Bike, UCI MTB Marathon Series - Roc Laissagais... but without a doubt my star event, the one I have prepared with the most enthusiasm has to be the Titan Desert. Where in 2019 I was the leader of the race. This year we will return to the desert with the aim of raising funds through the maillot that Gsport made us, all the funds collected will be donated to the Morocco hemophilia association”.
From Gsport we support Pau’s this big project by designing the garments that he will be wearing, the official Factor8 Cycling Project equipment. A design where the splashes of different colors try to represent the three types of hemophilia: the red represents the hemophilia A, the yellow represents the moderate hemophilia and the blue represents the mild hemophilia. Like the solidary Titan Desert maillot that you can check out at our web site, all the funds collected will be donated to the Morocco hemophilia association.
"A few years ago it was unthought-of that a person with hemophilia will be able to do mountain biking, I’ve been competing at the highest level for 10 years. From Factor8 Cycling Project we look to encourage people to follow their dreams. To take risks, to be active and try encouraging them to do sports."
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