In light of Relay for Life taking place this Saturday from 12 noon to midnight at Slidell?High, I want to remind you athletes out there that cancer comes in all forms, and even too much sunlight can cause cancer in skin.
The Skin Cancer Foundation asked several athletes who are uniquely qualified to advise other athletes because they are also dermatologists.
As skin experts, all of them take certain general precautions and recommend you do the same: Avoid outdoor athletics between the peak sun hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; wear protective clothing, hats, and UV-blocking sunglasses, and use a broad spectrum, sweat-resistant, SPF 15+ sunscreen, being careful to cover often-missed exposed spots such as the hands and the back of the neck.
The part of that advice that jumped out to me is where it says to avoid being out in the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Let’s face it, that is pretty unrealistic, especially for high school and college athletes who play football, baseball, softball, tennis, soccer — you name it, and it’s just about impossible to avoid. However, it is important to use sun screen when you have to be out practicing or playing during that time.
In an effort to promote sun safe behaviors among active people, The Skin Cancer Foundation recently launched Team SCF. The idea for the Team was developed after a variety of professional athletes approached the Foundation with the common goal of raising skin cancer awareness.
Team members include:
* PGA Tour golfer and skin cancer survivor Brian Davis
* Thirteen members of the World Professional Surfers (WPS) organization, including 2009 World Champion Mick Fanning
* Soccer players and Olympic Gold Medalists Christie Rampone and Lindsay Tarpley
* Record-setting angler Preston Clark
* Snowboard champion Shayne Pospisil
“The members of Team SCF are champions for sun safety, and with the support of these fine athletes, we hope to encourage people to take the necessary precautions to help avoid this very preventable cancer,” said Perry Robins, MD, President of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “If professional athletes can take the time to protect themselves, everyone can.”
I know it seems lame and pointless. Afterall, when most people get sunburns, it turns into a tan, and we all love to be tan. But those sunburns can lead to skin cancer later on in life, and trust me, it’s not worth it.
Reported in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the study showed that 85 percent of 186 NCAA soccer players and cross-country runners used no sunscreen during the previous seven practice days. And 94 percent said they used sunscreen on fewer than three day during the previous week.
The consequences of not using sunscreen are well documented and all point to the fact that every locker room should have sunscreen right up there with Gatorade. Just remember that a tan is the body’s last attempt to protect itself against UV light damage. It’s your skin’s way of saying, “No more sun!”
So please, listen to this former athlete, and slather on the sunscreen. You’ll thank me when you are in your 40s and not having to make weekly visits to your dermatologist.
(Chrissy Smith is Sports Editor of the Slidell Independent, and a former college athlete. She can be reached at chrissycsmith@gmail.com.)