Ride to Conquer Cancer raises spirits, emotions and $6.35M

ToddKemper said there was one thing on his mind this weekend as he took part in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer for southern Alberta.

"Every time I climb one of the hills and just want to quit, I think of her and all of the other people like her who don't get a chance to quit, they just have to keep fighting. I am doing it for them."

Kemper'swife has late-stage metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

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He joined hundreds of participants in the annual event that raised several million dollars.

"As a team we have raised close to $70,000 and collectively the 1,400 plus riders here have raised $6.35 million this year all going to the Alberta Cancer Foundation," Kemper told CBC News Sunday.

"I don't even have words to describe how amazing that is."

He says his trainingas a first-timerinvolved about 2,000 practice kilometres since the start of the year.

"We trained hard. We met up every Sunday as a team, as many people as we could."

Josee Labelle, a captain of one of the many teams in the ride, said it hasmultiple goals.

"The biggest goal is that every rider must raise $2,500. So that is pretty challenging especially when economic times change, that is a big challenge right in itself," Labelle explained.

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"The second challenge is getting everyone across that finish line. We don't approach it as a race, we take our time. These people take such good care of us, all the volunteers and crew, we stop at every pit stop and keep well hydrated and well nourished. The goal is to get the entire team across the finish line safe, in one piece."

Labelle says it's an emotional ride but one full of inspiration on and off the road.

"To watch people accomplish something that they never thought they could finish, that is very inspiring. It is very empowering," she said.

"You take that inspiration and it flows into all aspects of your life and you can inspire others who thought they could never do such a thing. Just finishing and watching those that may be older, not physically as fit, and who have survived cancer just finish, that is inspiring. It makes you come back every year."

Myka Osinchuk, withthe Alberta Cancer Foundationthe recipient of the funds raised, has come back every year again and again.

"This was my fifth time riding and to see all of the riders on the road with yellow flags on their bikes, it means they are cancer survivors, they are out there, they are riding the big hills, they have got smiles on their faces because they know that a little hill isn't anything compared to a cancer journey," Osinchuk said.

She says 43 Albertans will be diagnosed with cancer every day, and one in two will have cancer over their lifetimes.

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The foundation supports all 17 cancer centres in the province.

"We are here with friends, family, riders celebrating such a great achievement today," Osinchuk said.

Eka Etokudo's husband, Patrick, participated for the first time and raised more than $3,000 in honour of his father who died of prostate cancer earlier this year.

"I know his dad would be really proud and I really, really hope that with the money they raise, one day there'll be no more cancer," shesaid.

"Or there'll be a cure forcancer and nobody needs to die from cancer again."

Todd Garrett's wife could not contain her excitementjumping up and down, as he crossed the finish line.

Inspired by his 14-year-old son Tristan's battle with cancer, he lost 65 pounds while training for the ride this year.

"Now people know me as the Skinny Todd, not the Fat Todd.It's great," he said.

"This was easy, compared to what he went through."

The emotions flowed freely at the finish linefor some, overcome by what they accomplished and thoughts of loved ones still fighting and others who lost the battle.

Meanwhile, for Todd Kemper, it was about dedication and teamwork.

"It has been an amazing experience actually," Kemper described.

"It is one thing to get on a bike and train hard and ride 100 or more kilometres a day, but it is something really different to do it with all of these amazing people behind you who share a story similar to yours and everyone is in it together," he said.

"It has been a great uplifting experience."

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