Exclusive! Denada Tambunan Finds The Spirit Of Life From Zumba When Accompanying Her Daughter Against Cancer

Denada Tambunan (Photo: Private Collection, DI: Raga/VOI)

JAKARTA - Denada Tambunan has decided to move to Singapore since 2018. She is willing to leave her career and everything she owns for the sake of recovering Aisha or Shakira Aurum. Her only daughter was sentenced to suffer from leukemia.

Leukemia is a blood cancer caused by the body producing too many abnormal white blood cells. White blood cells are part of the immune system produced in the bone marrow. When the function of the bone marrow is disturbed, the white blood cells produced will undergo changes and no longer perform their role effectively.

Denada's world was shaken at that time, plus the pandemic made it impossible for her to go back and forth between Singapore and Indonesia for work. But Denada never gave up, both for her daughter and for herself. She found a way out via Zumba.

Starting from a hobby then becoming an instructor and opening online classes, Denada is now a brand ambassador for one of these sports. As Aisha recovered, Denada was able to return to Indonesia to work.

Denada Tambunan (Photo: Private Collection, DI: Raga/VOI)

Three years accompanying the princess is definitely not an easy job. But it is not difficult for Denada as a mother either. No choice to give up, Denada fought it out.

"I don't think all mothers are just me. When we talk about children, we do the same thing, but the struggles are different. When we talk about children, we can't do it, everything is for children," said Denada during a virtual chat with VOI, on March 4th.

Immediately returning to Singapore, Denada held back longing for her daughter who lived there. "Alhamdulillah, good news. Until now I am still in Jakarta. I am already here in my third month and God willing, in a few days, I will return to Singapore. Good news, I am healthy and really happy with the three months of struggle in Indonesia. This is my first time back in Indonesia after three years of not returning. Thank God. I'm really looking forward to returning to Singapore to meet Aisyah," she said.

Three months in Indonesia, Denada is not on vacation. She travels around Indonesia to introduce Zumba, a sport that makes her strong both physically and mentally to face all the trials that exist.

"I never imagined, I never imagined, I never dreamed of getting trust. An extraordinary fortune. Holding a position as a BA of a brand is arguably a global brand. The Zumba brand is a sport that is loved in Indonesia," she said.

Denada Tambunan (Photo: Private Collection, DI: Raga/VOI)

Denada considers her job as homework, tired of being carried out because she wants to share her personal experience. "Zumba is a sport that is so loved by many Indonesian people. I can bring better things. I don't know how, but I personally feel that Zumba is the passion that I have been doing for many years. I have always felt a bond with Zumba and it turns out that when I being a BA and instructor, I can meet new families, either zumba lovers or zumba players. It turns out that this bond is not just me but there are many others. Most of them they feel that zumba helps them in a way or another. Either physical or target fit," she explained.

Zumba became Denada's 'escape' when she was tired in Singapore. At first, Denada was just a lover. But when zumba can help keep her mentally healthy, Denada feels attached to the sport of zumba.

"Because I put Zumba as an 'escape' because our lives are sometimes up and sometimes down, but if I need an extra spirit that makes me strong again, I feel able to face anything, one of which is Zumba," she recalls.

In front of the apartment where Denada lives there is a regular zumba class. "So if for example, I need a quick fix I come there. Every time I do zumba, I feel a positive, extraordinary vibe. And energy is not only brought by the zumba instructor but also zumba lovers or participants. And that's really infectious, give energy to each other so that when we finish we are sweating, our hearts are incredibly happy, focused again, excited again and I'm ready now. This I have done regularly for a long time I have been in Singapore. In fact, I spend more time in Singapore than in Indonesia," she explained.

From lovers, Denada tried to get a certificate as a zumba instructor. The direction of her life changed from a singer to a sports player.

"I've always felt that a zumba instructor is such a rockstar. Wow, she was standing there in front of us with all her positive aura and letting us all be ourselves. I saw that the zumba instructor had an extraordinary role because she had helped me, 10 people or 20, or 30 or 50 people in my class to feel better, feel happier, feel fitter, help achieve our goals in health and for me, it's a good thing she does every day," she explained.

Starting from Zero, from Instructor to Brand Ambassador of Zumba

Denada Tambunan (Photo: Private Collection, DI: Raga/VOI)

When Denada was trusted to be a zumba instructor and later a brand ambassador, Denada was more grateful. She can get double happiness, physically and financially healthy.

"I enjoy every second, I'm grateful and what I haven't stopped until now is to continue to hone myself. Because I have a task, wishes that I hope can be realized and for that I know I have to keep learning and keep seeking knowledge and practice and start all over from 0 again," she recalls.

"Okay, maybe I'm in the entertainment world as a musician. I've had many years of experience but as an instructor, I still need to learn a lot. So it's still in the process and God willing, it will be a good thing," she explained.

Denada thinks that Zumba is a happy work out, at least it doesn't feel like a sport. Zumba is an effective sport, a cardio exercise that trains to strengthen the muscles of the heart, lungs and of course trains other things that we need in life such as mental, memory, aginity which physically must be trained.

"The funniest thing about zumba is that we, like I always say, are like a fit party, now this is what I feel even though we know exercise is fun, the positive impact is that it releases happy hormones where these hormones make us feel more comfortable, better, happier, happier." contented, confident and all kinds of things," she explained.

Denada Tambunan (Photo: Private Collection, DI: Raga/VOI)

Like a soul mate, Denada is now combining her dancing and singing skills for zumba. Her career as an entertainer has also recovered after being suspended for the treatment of her daughter.

"First, zumba has the basics of dancing, the second is music. The music is always fun because I have music in the background and music is my passion, so when I found a sport where the sport combines my 3 passions, it made me love this sport. I can see like I'm doing it forever," she said.

Starting a new challenge in your 40s is definitely not an easy thing. Moreover, many people think that Zumba is for young people. Denada fought that and proved she could.

"Zumba seems to be more of young people 20 years and 18 years old, but that's not the case. Just so you know, I have one participant who is always there in each of my classes. If I want to make online classes anywhere, she will be there. Jakarta, she will definitely attend. She is over 60 years old. And she is still diligent until now, she is still healthy, still fit and the only sport she does is Zumba," she said.

Psychologically, Denada is happy because she feels the effects of happy hormones when she becomes a zumba instructor. "When I found out I had a participant waiting for me who always diligently came to my class and shared the Zumba class, it helped them. It made me feel I've done something good today," she explained.

Denada Tambunan (Photo: Private Collection, DI: Raga/VOI)

There is no storm that does not subside, Denada feels that she can get through the storm of her life well. Now the princess has recovered and is living in Singapore. In between her busy schedule of taking Aisha to school, Denada can still speak by going back and forth in Indonesia.

"God gave me one chance to do good things today, to please others, to help others, and at this time of feeling in Singapore it feels challenging. We are helpless like oops how challenging this is all this. How can I get through all of this? "Questions like that. So maybe psychologically it makes me feel happy when I feel helpless, but God allows me to make an impact in people's lives. There is no such thing as giving up because there is always a way, there is always a way," she explained.

Denada admitted that she had felt helpless. As if they had no way out by selling their assets for Aisha's treatment.

"The most difficult thing is that I was there, practically alone with Aisyah and we have been going through this since 2018 where, in 2020, suddenly a pandemic became like, well, the homework is increasing with all the sudden circumstances that we suddenly have to adjust. The most challenging thing is when I'm in a helpless situation like we don't know what's going on, that's what happened during the pandemic. Everything is full of uncertainty. We can't predict when I can work again, when I can return to Indo and show again. When will I start earning a normal living?" she asked.

But God gave a beautiful answer. Denada's unyielding spirit was greeted with the opportunity to work again as a singer.

"I'm still doing entertainment until now, I'm still living it, I just started with JFlow, I just launched a new song called Batak Song," said Denada.

Batak song is one of the works born in one of my most difficult times in Singapore. "During the pandemic, I can't go back to Indonesia, it's financially difficult, but thank God, God allowed me to have a work assisted by JFlow. That's something I'm also very grateful to God for. The language is Bataknese and it's the first time I sing in the Batak language, but the people who made the song were Ambonese. So this is an extraordinary thing, yes, in Indonesia, that is something we are very proud of," she said.

Denada's fortune is now back, God doesn't leave people who keep trying. In succession, after releasing Batak songs, now the song entitled Nasi Goreng has become the official Zumba playlist. This is the first and only Indonesian song to be included in the official Zumba playlist.

"Zumba has an official official playlist which contains Latin songs because that is the format of Zumba's sport. 80 percent of the songs we perform are Latin and work rhythms but there are bhangra songs as well as middle east, kpop too but for the first time there is an Indonesian song. Zumba's official song. This is officially released by Zumba and is part of ZIN (Zumba Instructor Network) and this is my song," she explained enthusiastically.

Nasi Goreng is Denada's song in Duo Wildeones with Jesse Wilde. "We have a song called Nasi Goreng, genre EDM, and this song is the first Indonesian song to make it into official Zumba. This song was heard and added to the zumba class playlist by zumba instructors around the world in every country," said the woman born December 19, 1978.