5 Cancer Survivors Cross Costa Rica for Amazon Documentary

Five women who survived cancer just completed one of the toughest adventure challenges of their lives, and their story is heading to Amazon Prime Video later this year.

The documentary "Latidos en la Lluvia" (Heartbeats in the Rain) follows Verónica Guillén, Mapi Morón, Idoia Fernández, Toñi Delgado and Eduina Rodríguez as they crossed Costa Rica from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. The 15-day expedition in fall 2025 took them through 160 kilometers by mountain bike, 50 kilometers on foot, 38 kilometers by raft and 15 kilometers by kayak.

The route tested them immediately. One mountain biking stage in Tarrazú climbed nearly 1,500 meters in less than 30 kilometers, with steep dirt roads, loose rock and heavy rain forcing organizers to pause and adjust the course.

The women pushed through rainforest trails, river crossings and whitewater sections including the famous Pacuare River. They navigated mud, heat and challenging terrain across regions like Santa María de Dota, Turrialba and Barbilla before reaching the Caribbean coast.

Four participants completed the final stage, while Rodríguez, who faced physical complications during the challenge, remained part of the expedition and joined the closing celebration. All five women carried their personal histories of illness into one of Costa Rica's most demanding adventure routes.

The expedition was part of Reto Pelayo Vida, a project that started in 2015 to take women cancer survivors to challenging locations around the world. Previous editions brought participants to Kilimanjaro, the Arctic, the Andes, Patagonia and Antarctica, making Costa Rica the eleventh destination.

Costa Rica's tourism board supported the production, seeing it as a way to showcase the country through adventure, nature and personal recovery rather than traditional tourism advertising. The timing works well since Spain remains an important European tourism market for Costa Rica.

Why This Inspires

This documentary does something powerful. It takes a story about survival after cancer and pairs it with a story about pushing physical limits in one of the world's most biodiverse countries.

The women didn't just cross Costa Rica. They showed what recovery can look like when it includes challenge, community and natural beauty. Their journey will now reach millions of Prime Video viewers, turning personal triumph into shared inspiration.

The film was presented in Madrid before its streaming release and is expected to circulate through international film festivals. For viewers worldwide, it offers proof that life after illness can include adventure, strength and new mountains to climb.