Riding to conquer cancer

Times Contributor  

 

Team Prairie Wind, the five member team from Strathmore journeyed into The Rockies for the fourth annual Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, June 23-24.

Inspiration from survivors and those currently in the battle, and hope for future research progressions was what fuelled Team Prairie Wind to complete the ride of over 200 km. Together the team raised over $18,000. The team Prairie Wind members include: Colin Lenox, Chris Iversen, Wes Lewis and Armand Pinel from the teaching community and student Jonah Zankl who will be entering Grade 12. 

The ride began in Calgary and headed west where participants were to camp overnight at Chain Lakes National Park, AB. The participants rode over 100 km back into Calgary the following day. 1,854 participants rode together on the 2012 journey with a combined total of over $8 million raised, with proceeds going to the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

Proceeds will be directed within the province to 17 cancer centres. Other rides commenced across Canada in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

For Team Prairie Wind, it was Iversen and Zankl’s first year and Pinel, Lewis, and Lenox’s second year partaking in the ride.

“I was having some knee problems, and I couldn’t run. My father had passed away due to prostate cancer, so I’d seen flyers sitting on store’s shelf, I finally picked one up and talked to my wife, and we agreed we should do it. I bought an old mountain bike and I started riding, and I enjoyed it more and more, and started looking at the ride more and more,” said Lenox.

Iversen was used to downhill biking but, with an environmental mindset, began riding his bike to work every day. From training and getting used to road riding, Iversen decided to join Team Prairie Wind. 

Describing the two-day journey, Iversen and Lenox blatantly state in unison that the ride was “wet”.

“The ride itself, you have to have the right sort of frame of mind, you’re doing this for a reason, the reason for a lot of people is very personal, they will share it with you because it’s either their cancer or a family’s cancer that they have beaten or are in the process to beat or have lost the battle to. I know for the ride itself, whether it’s cold, whether it’s wet, is nothing in comparison to what the battle is for these people,” said Lenox.

“We’ve all had family members that have been afflicted by cancer, is some way shape or form, I’ve watched students die, it’s just not something I wanted to continue to let go without doing something,” said Lenox.

Iversen recalled a training day when the team rode together the day after a former student had passed away due to cancer.

“It was windy, it was in October, and we were running into 60 km head winds, but just kind of thinking of her that day, that drove us on the training and made it that much easier,” said Iversen.

Lenox remembered an inspirational moment from the previous year’s ride, where he met a woman who had breast cancer, which had spread into her shoulder blade. A majority of the bone had been removed.

“She was waiting for a prosthetic insert for that but she still rode. If a lady that doesn’t have a shoulder blade can do that ride, it’s amazing. It’s digging real deep, finding people’s stories as to why they are there,” said Lenox.

If there ever was a need for that extra push, Lenox said all you needed to do was look around and see the yellow flags, which marked the cancer survivors who were still riding.

Iversen said another highlight included the Enbridge team who went over and beyond to take care of the riders.

“They’re out there in vehicles and motorcycles controlling traffic, we come into our pit stops and they are there giving us food, and snacks and things like that. Our last stop, it was so muddy there were people there scraping off our muddy shoes to put back into our pedals easier, and back at camp, there is massages, showers, there’s people serving food and beer,” said Iversen.

In regards to meeting the mandatory criteria to join the ride, raising $2,500 appeared daunting to Iversen, who was surprised at how willing people were to give.

“I am relatively new to the community, so I don’t have a lot of connections, even in Alberta as well, but once people know you are doing the ride, (money) just started coming in,” said Iversen.

“For me, I’m still on a bit of a high, on cloud nine. I did it, I finished it, over 100 km a day, and then thinking about the money that we raised, it’s nice to knowing that it is going to research, and maybe one of those dollars that one of us collected is going to be the one to do it,” said Iversen.

With a recent cancer scare, Lenox wants more than anything to help someone hear those words “you’re cancer free”.

“I was cancer free and was able to participate, and then there are a couple of kids in the school that are waiting to find out. Just being able to participate means possibly giving somebody else a chance. Your whole outlook, no matter how hard you try, it affects you and then all of a sudden, it is a weight lifted off of your shoulders,” said Lenox.

Iversen and Lenox are hopeful for the future and that one day, cancer can be considered “the polio of the 21st century” as Lenox described. 

“Even if we don’t find a cure in both of our lifetimes, the money going into the research is making things better. In my own lifetime, when I was a boy when Terry Fox ran across Canada, in those days, cancer was a death sentence. Now I’m only 40, and that was 30 years ago, and today, cancer is more treatable. It changes your life, but you hear more and more success stories,” said Iversen.

Iversen is hoping more awareness can be spread amongst the younger generation. Youth must realize they are in charge of their own health and have to be proactive.

“When they get into about grade nine and are hitting their growth spurts, with that comes responsibility yourself to make sure you are healthy. Talk to your doctors, make sure you understand how to do proper self examinations for things and make sure if you find something on your body, it’s not something you should ignore,” said Iveresen.

For anyone who is toying with the idea of taking part in the 2013 ride, Lenox strongly encourages those who are interested to come out for a training ride with the team. 

More information about joining Team Prairie Wind can be found by contacting Colin Lenox at  clenox@hotmail.ca. 

More information about the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer can be found at www.conquercancer.ca.