Ride to Conquer Cancer hits home for local sisters as Barrie man walks 100 km for a cure

BARRIE, ONT. -

Thousands across Ontario, including some in the Simcoe area, were pedalling throughout their communities Saturday, on a journey for a cure for cancer.

The Ride to Conquer Cancer forged ahead this year in a hybrid format. While the ride was held virtually with teams finding their own routes, multiple refuelling stations were set up throughout the GTA, reaching as far as Georgina.

"The ride to conquer cancer is in its 14th year," says Tammy Johnson, the director of corporate and community partnerships at Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. "This year, we have done the ride to conquer cancer virtually, but thanks to some more relaxed restrictions, we've been able to introduce some in-person refuel stations."

It's a cause that hits very close to home for Kate and Ali Pettersen. The two sisters have been participating for years, with their mother having passed from ovarian cancer in 2017.

"Our mom actually joined the ride to conquer cancer the first year, and she joined because a friend had cancer, and one year later she was diagnosed with cancer, so for a number of years, she was actually riding in between chemo treatments and doing it for herself and riding for her life," says Kate.

The sisters, along with their team of 14, took off from Collingwood Saturday morning. They surpassed their goal, raising more than $25,000, all of which goes towards the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

"We are very grateful for riders who create their own route, who start their own teams and raise funds," says Johnson. "This research impacts globally because we share these findings with other hospitals and cancer research centres across the world."

For the Petersen sisters, the benefits of that research are felt firsthand.

"Our mom was given two months to live, and she lived 8.5 years, so if that doesn't sell you on how important these fundraising dollars are, I don't know what does," says Kate.

Lionel Strang is a survivor himself. In 2014 he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma. For the fifth straight year, he has been walking from Princess Margaret Hospital to his home in Barrie. His walk, which totals approximately 100 kilometres, ended Saturday afternoon.

"I survived! I was lucky enough to survive stage 4 cancer," Strang says. "So if I'm one of the lucky ones, I want to do what I can with the time I have left to help others who are coming along behind me."

Altogether he has raised more than $70,000.