Riding For Those Who Can’t
Sarah had just had a baby when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “At the time, I didn’t know anyone who had had cancer other than the girlfriend of a high school friend. You don’t think much about cancer until it affects you. I had so many questions. What do I need to do? Who has beaten this? What do I need to learn?” Scared and overwhelmed by the diagnosis and everything it brought in its wake, Sarah began looking for answers, hope and some confirmation that her diagnosis didn’t have to be a death sentence. “I thought I was going to die. So at the time, hearing that someone had four years, five years, six years gave me so much hope. It made me feel like this is something I can live with.”
Sarah had a lumpectomy to remove a tumour in her breast. Then she had to have another. When the margins were still not clear after the second surgery, she made the difficult decision to have a bilateral mastectomy and a full hysterectomy (the surgical removal of both breasts and the uterus). “Those are big surgeries, but I followed my intuition and did what felt right for me. It’s all you can do.”
In the fall after her hysterectomy, Sarah wanted to participate in The Big Move Cancer Ride, an annual fundraising event that the Niagara Health Foundation continues to host to raise funds for local cancer care. “My chemotherapy treatments took place at the old St. Catharines General, so I was able to see first-hand that there was a big need for funding and more equipment.”
Sarah had everything planned: surgery in the spring, time to recover, time to train and get a new bike. She was ready to go. Unfortunately, Sarah had to undergo an emergency appendectomy surgery before the Ride. Sarah remembers shaking her head in disbelief of the never-ending health issues she had to face at the time.
While Sarah was unable to participate in the Ride on event day, her friend set up a 100-kilometre bike ride for her later in the fall. “My friend’s parents were our sweepers; they prepared their own little rest stop…it was amazing. It was a sense of satisfaction for me. I had made this commitment and I didn’t want cancer to take that away from me too.” It was the first of many Big Move Cancer Rides in which Sarah participated. “I figured I’m strong enough, so I can and will do this. But after a few years, I got to a point where I wanted to distance myself from the cancer thing. It felt so negative; I didn’t want to ride again.”
The fear of the cancer returning consumed Sarah for quite some time. Even after finishing the medication, she was convinced that as soon as she stopped, she would die. “I stopped the medication, and nothing happened. Then I thought once it was fully out of my system, I might die. All those thoughts have passed now, and here I am.”
Sarah has a love-hate relationship with the Ride. As much as she wanted a break from the event and everything that reminded her of her diagnosis, each time she heard from someone who was diagnosed with cancer, the Ride would be back on her mind, “I would think – I have to do this again because I’m still here.”
Sarah is now 15 years cancer-free, which also coincides with the 15th anniversary of The Big Move Cancer Ride. Sarah decided that 2023 was the year to return to the Ride. “Two or three ladies I’ve met through chemotherapy aren’t here anymore. It’s a reminder for me that I am lucky to be here after all this time.”
For Sarah, the Big Move Cancer Ride isn’t about speed. It’s a time of meditation, practicing gratitude and thinking of those who are not here anymore. “It may sound cliché, but I ride for those who can’t.”
Riding For Those Who Can’t
Sarah had just had a baby when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “At the time, I didn’t know anyone who had had cancer other than the girlfriend of a high school friend. You don’t think much about cancer until it affects you. I had so many questions. What do I need to do? Who has beaten this? What do I need to learn?” Scared and overwhelmed by the diagnosis and everything it brought in its wake, Sarah began looking for answers, hope and some confirmation that her diagnosis didn’t have to be a death sentence. “I thought I was going to die. So at the time, hearing that someone had four years, five years, six years gave me so much hope. It made me feel like this is something I can live with.”
Sarah had a lumpectomy to remove a tumour in her breast. Then she had to have another. When the margins were still not clear after the second surgery, she made the difficult decision to have a bilateral mastectomy and a full hysterectomy (the surgical removal of both breasts and the uterus). “Those are big surgeries, but I followed my intuition and did what felt right for me. It’s all you can do.”
In the fall after her hysterectomy, Sarah wanted to participate in The Big Move Cancer Ride, an annual fundraising event that the Niagara Health Foundation continues to host to raise funds for local cancer care. “My chemotherapy treatments took place at the old St. Catharines General, so I was able to see first-hand that there was a big need for funding and more equipment.”
Sarah had everything planned: surgery in the spring, time to recover, time to train and get a new bike. She was ready to go. Unfortunately, Sarah had to undergo an emergency appendectomy surgery before the Ride. Sarah remembers shaking her head in disbelief of the never-ending health issues she had to face at the time.
While Sarah was unable to participate in the Ride on event day, her friend set up a 100-kilometre bike ride for her later in the fall. “My friend’s parents were our sweepers; they prepared their own little rest stop…it was amazing. It was a sense of satisfaction for me. I had made this commitment and I didn’t want cancer to take that away from me too.” It was the first of many Big Move Cancer Rides in which Sarah participated. “I figured I’m strong enough, so I can and will do this. But after a few years, I got to a point where I wanted to distance myself from the cancer thing. It felt so negative; I didn’t want to ride again.”
The fear of the cancer returning consumed Sarah for quite some time. Even after finishing the medication, she was convinced that as soon as she stopped, she would die. “I stopped the medication, and nothing happened. Then I thought once it was fully out of my system, I might die. All those thoughts have passed now, and here I am.”
Sarah has a love-hate relationship with the Ride. As much as she wanted a break from the event and everything that reminded her of her diagnosis, each time she heard from someone who was diagnosed with cancer, the Ride would be back on her mind, “I would think – I have to do this again because I’m still here.”
Sarah is now 15 years cancer-free, which also coincides with the 15th anniversary of The Big Move Cancer Ride. Sarah decided that 2023 was the year to return to the Ride. “Two or three ladies I’ve met through chemotherapy aren’t here anymore. It’s a reminder for me that I am lucky to be here after all this time.”
For Sarah, the Big Move Cancer Ride isn’t about speed. It’s a time of meditation, practicing gratitude and thinking of those who are not here anymore. “It may sound cliché, but I ride for those who can’t.”
