On Aug. 27, thousands of cyclists will take off from Vancouver, kicking off the two-day, 200-km BC Ride to Conquer Cancer, presented by Silver Wheaton to benefit the BC Cancer Foundation.
One of those riders will be 35-year-old Tamara Guerin, a Garibaldi Highlands resident, who this year will be participating in her fifth Ride to Conquer Cancer.
“When I first started, I actually had never even been on a road bike,” laughed Guerin.
Over the past half-decade she’s been participating in the annual ride, Guerin has managed to raise over $25,000 for the BC Cancer Foundation. This year, she hopes to add another $10,000 to that total.
“It’s a hard go, but we’re trying,” she said. “This year, right now, I’m sitting at just over $6,000.”
Guerin knows better than most that these funds are not only crucial to help find a cure for the disease, but to help improve the quality and longevity of life for those who are currently battling it.
She was first inspired to sign up for the ride in 2012 to support cancer research after her mother, Kathy Ramage, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2010. Unfortunately, the cancer spread and Ramage passed away in 2012 at only 51 years old.
“When my mom was diagnosed we never actually asked, ‘How long, what’s the timeline?’ We just kind of knew that it was time to start to making memories, so that’s what we did,” said Guerin. “She went through rounds and rounds of chemo and radiation. The year that she passed, in October, they told her there were no more treatments left. That was it, her cancer was terminal. So we asked then, ‘What’s the timeline?,’ and they told us that had we asked when she was first diagnosed, they would have told us six months, and she ended up living two-and-a-half years.”
“We got two years because of the advancement in treatment,” continued Guerin. “One of her liver treatments that she had, she was one of only a handful of people that had it. It was so new – they were in the testing phases – but it gave her that extra time.”
Now, Guerin continues to participate in the ride each year in memory of her mother.
“She was amazing. She was my best friend,” said Guerin. “I have a picture of her taped to my handlebars, so during the tough times, I just have to look down, and she’s there with me.”
Having this strong of a motivator is helpful to get through the two-day journey, which begins in Vancouver and ends in Redmond, Wash.
“Day two is always challenging because there’s a lot of hills,” explained Guerin. “When you’re already tired and have ridden 120 kilometres, getting back on your bike to ride another 120 is difficult.”
Guerin describes the best part of the annual event as meeting other riders who have lost loved ones to cancer, as well as survivors. “It’s always inspiring, because you know that the money you’ve raised has helped get them there,” said Guerin.
To register for the BC Ride to Conquer Cancer, benefiting the BC Cancer Foundation, or to donate to Guerin’s campaign, go to conquercancer.ca.
