The ninth-annual Ride to Conquer Cancer kicked off from the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Grounds at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning (Aug. 26).
More than 2,000 riders embarked on the two day, 200-km bike ride, which will take them from the Lower Mainland to Seattle in support of the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
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At the opening ceremonies, B.C. Cancer Foundation President and CEO Sarah Roth announced that this year the ride raised a total of $8.3 million to support cancer research and enhancements to care.
2,000 riders beginning their 200 km journey at the Fairgrounds this morning
鈥� Sam Anderson (@sam_andrsn)
An estimated 1 in 2 Canadians are expected to develop cancer over their lifetime, according to the B.C. Cancer Foundation. In B.C., that works out to an estimated 25,400 cancer diagnoses a year.
Nicola Anderson and Erin Barrett, cancer survivors who are part of Team Lady Bits, shared their stories with the crowd at the opening ceremonies.
Two months into her pregnancy, Anderson was diagnosed with a molar pregnancy. 鈥淲hich, in short, means that instead of a baby growing, a tumour grew,鈥� she explained.
鈥淚nstead of celebrating a baby, we were referred to the B.C. Cancer Agency,鈥� said Anderson.
Barrett鈥檚 story began with a pregnancy, too. 鈥淚 was pregnant with my second child when I got really sick,鈥� she said. Barrett was admitted to the hospital when she was eight months along, and there they found out that she had been growing a tumour in her left ovary.
鈥淭he tumour was so big, it was bigger than a volleyball, and it was actually bigger than my baby,鈥� said Barrett.
During an emergency cesarean section, doctors delivered Barrett鈥檚 daughter, and removed a tumour that Barrett and her husband 鈥渏okingly named Ozzy.鈥�
鈥淵ou often hear people say, 鈥楥ancer is a gift,鈥欌�� said Anderson. 鈥淓rin and I have yet to experience such an epiphany, but we can tell you who has been a gift. The people who have pulled us through. The people, who, when life got hard, showed up.鈥�
鈥淲e owe everything to our parents, our husbands, who are here today, and some of the best friends you can imagine,鈥� said Barrett. 鈥淭hey were with us for every doctor鈥檚 appointment, they held our hands through treatment, and they never wavered in the belief that we would be okay.
鈥淎nd we are,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e okay.鈥�
Since the B.C. Ride to Conquer Cancer began nine years ago, it has raised more than $85.3 million for the B.C. Cancer Foundation. Since 2008, rides across the country have raised more than $378.3 million.
The cyclists are scheduled to finish at King County鈥檚 Marymoor Park, in Washington, on Sunday, August 27.
