When Connor McLaughlin first joined Niagara’s Big Move Cancer Ride in 2023, he wasn’t a cyclist. But for Connor, the Ride has never been about the distance—it’s about the meaning behind every pedal stroke.

In 2022, when Connor was just 18, his family’s world changed. His mom, Tammy, went in for what seemed like a routine check-up. Instead, doctors discovered she had cancer.

At first, Tammy chose to keep the news from her two sons. But before her surgery, Connor found out. “I realized, I could wake up one day soon, and my mom could be dead,” he remembers.

Thankfully, Tammy made it through the surgery, but the journey was far from over. She endured 12 rounds of chemotherapy during one of the most difficult times imaginable—through the isolation and fear of COVID, and being a parent to her two sons. Connor, still in school and working, stepped in as her main support with some help from his brother Noah. He recalls how hard it was to watch his mom suffer: “To see somebody you spend all this time with struggle like that—it was very difficult.”

Today, Tammy has been cancer-free for three years. For Connor and his family, that’s something worth celebrating every single day.

Now, Connor rides in the Big Move to honor his mom’s strength and to support others who are still in the fight. Despite living over an hour away, he makes the drive to Niagara because the Ride has become deeply personal.

“It’s open to everyone, and it’s something that brings the community together; it feels tangible,” Connor says.

This will be Connor’s third Big Move, and while he may not call himself a cyclist, he is most certainly a rider with purpose. Every kilometer is a reminder of his mom’s courage—and a step closer to a future where no family has to face cancer alone.”