Art, fighting and kayaking: Fanny Zinell on her strength and vulnerability

Art, fighting and kayaking: Fanny Zinell on her strength and vulnerability

In the Boathouse of the Kayak Club in Lienz, while the Drau flows calmly, the East Tyrolean artist Fanny Zinell talks about her life story and the way back to health. Fanny, who is known as a "Dolomite woman", won a fight against lymph node cancer not too long ago. With a creative and sporting determination, she managed to grow not only in terms of health but also artistically. Her participation in the Dolomitenmann, a demanding team competition, was only a month before the start when Fanny spontaneously agreed.

The 28-year-old says that she was one of the few women in an all-female team at this competition. She particularly remembers crossing the finish line in her kayak. For her, her participation was not just a sporting competition, but a sign of returning to life after cancer. “Vulnerability can also be an incredibly good thing,” she explains. During the conversation it becomes clear that she wants to translate her experiences into art to encourage other people.

Healing effect of art

Fanny's determination and her approach to her illness are consistent with the findings of the WHO's new report on the healing power of art. According to WHO, art cannot provide a medical cure, but it has the potential to create personal meaning and thus supporting healing. The report highlights that art can serve as an effective complement to the medical treatment of noncommunicable diseases, which account for 90% of all deaths in Europe.

Christopher Bailey, a representative of the WHO, said that personal stories and creative forms of expression contributed to the difficult times during his own recovery of cancer. Art events, such as those in Madrid, should also help socially weaker groups to better understand and process health issues. These approaches offer an exciting perspective for further medical treatment and rehabilitation.

Exemplary view of life

Fanny Zinell shows how the will to live and creativity can go hand in hand. She reflects on her illness and includes quotes from famous people like Steve Jobs: "Here's to the crazy ones. (...) The ones who see things differently." Her artwork and her sporting achievements inspire not only herself, but others as well. She has been cancer-free for almost six months and plans to further expand her personal and creative projects in the future.

Fanny's story and the current discussion about the value of art in healthcare are a strong message that personal experiences and creative expressions can play a central role in the healing process. The acoustic magazine Dolomitenstadt is dedicated to these topics and offers further insights into the inspiring stories of its guests.

This linking of art and health opens up new ways and perspectives, not only for those affected themselves, but also for the community that benefits from such experiences.