The Ride to Conquer Cancer

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Support Hal Newman’s 250km “Fat Man On Trek to Conquer Cancer” bike ride

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Filed under: Themes, Tumour Humour, Campaign Watch

Quoting Hal Newman, current managing editor at BigMedicine.ca, former firefighter and paramedic with 3+ decades of experience in emergency services who “reinvented” himself after leaving the streets by becoming a Network Accelerant:

If you had to pick someone who would be the least likely to become addicted to road cycling more than 30 km each and every day at speed you need not look any further than me. So, it’s a bit surreal to think that come July 2010, I will be joining thousands of other cyclists riding the 250 km [in two days] from Montreal to Quebec City to raise funds to support the fight against cancer. I’m riding for Abraham, Rose, Mimi, David, Susan, Gil, Mario and many many others who fought cancer right up until their dying breaths. We say the words carefully. Sometimes in a hushed whisper. Sometimes spat out like a foul taste in our mouths. “Cancer” … “The Big CA.” So many family members and friends and colleagues who have waged pitched battles against cancer. Occasionally there are wins—and we celebrate those in grand style although truth be told, once cancer stages a home invasion it never really leaves. Even when it’s gone for good, we all wonder if cancer will find another way to come back into our lives. More often than not there are losses. And we mark those with sorrow and tears and a lasting hatred of a disease that shows no mercy and knows no boundaries. I spent a good chunk of my career as a paramedic/ firefighter. Cancer has become inexorably linked with those who are on the frontlines of emergency services. I’ve gone to the hospital to pick-up a friend/ colleague after his first round of chemo and I’ll always remember his reaction to being able to walk, albeit weakly, out the door under his own power. It was a cold, crisp day and yet he had his window down for the ride home so he could take in the sunshine and the wind. His cancer was beaten back and he’s still a part of our lives. I’m riding for Norm and Don and not enough others who have found a way to beat cancer. Norm Rooker, my brother-of-another-mother, wrote about learning he had bladder cancer . . .