FORT WALTON BEACH — Growing up in Panama, Connie Dermody enjoyed the tradition and festivities of the annual Ocean to Ocean Cayuco Race down the Panama Canal. She cheered on her mother and friends as they paddled the canoe-like cayucos, but never competed herself.
When she left Panama at 20 years old, Dermody wasn’t sure if she’d ever get to race.But when a friend told her of an opening on a team about two years ago, she decided to go for it.
“You just got to want to do it,” said Dermody, 46, who works at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. “Get out there and make it happen.”
She competed in the race for the second time last month.
“You feel like you’re part of something,” Dermody said.
The tradition was started in 1954 by a Boy Scout troop that came to Panama to learn about its indigenous people, Dermody said. To this day, a patch and a bead are given to all who compete in the race.
“It’s such a great, positive tradition,” Dermody said. “It celebrates (Panama’s) culture.”
That includes the cayucos. To build one, native artisans hollow out tree trunks, which are then shaped and finished by experts. The cayucos and the paddles still must be wooden, Dermody said.
The finished product is 14 feet long and weighs about 250 pounds.
The 50-mile race is split into three days. Despite practicing with her teammates for three months and keeping up her regular fitness routine, Dermody said her two races were grueling. Some people train year-round for the race.
“We got humbled,” Dermody said with a laugh.
The cayuco racers try to stay on one side of the canal as barges and freighters pass near them. The scenery also changes from piers and cities to jungle.
“It’s beautiful,” Dermody said. “You are in the jungle. It’s just an incredible experience.”
The cayucos are almost level with the water, and the alligators, crocodiles and ships sharing the canal can be unsettling, she said.
The Panama Canal turns 100 next year, and a large cayuco race is expected for the celebration. Dermody isn’t sure she’ll race again, but definitely wants to be a part of it as a coach, logistical guide or spectator.
“I never thought at 46 (years old) this would happen,” she said. “You never know. You just got to get out there. There’s so many cool things to experience.”
Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado can be reached at 850-315-4445 or ldelgado@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.