When Mark Warmington gets on his bicycle June 22-23 for the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, it’ll be a journey coming full circle.
Warmington has been touched personally by the disease. Four years ago he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Just a year ago, the Cochrane resident said he was declared by doctors to be cancer-free.
An avid cyclist for many years, Warmington is currently training for the two-day bike tour, which he’ll be tackling alongside his daughter Cassandra Warmington. But despite his personal history, Mark said he’s dedicating his ride to those currently combating the disease.
“I went through stuff that everyone else goes through — and all I wanted to do was put it all behind me,” said Mark, who is a pilot for the event’s title sponsor, Enbridge. “I came out of it and I felt so lucky and grateful. Now I want to do what I can — I want to do my part.”
Describing his time with the disease as lonely and gloomy, Mark said he’s hoping to inspire those living with cancer to be positive.
“I’ll be able to meet, see and ride with people who are going through the same thing that I did,” said Mark. “It’s a lot of doom and gloom. If there’s even one person that I can reach to be positive, I’ll have done my job.”
It was Mark’s positive outlook that brought inspiration to his daughter. Cassandra said her father’s experience with the disease has taught her to just keep moving forward.
“Dad kept an amazing attitude through the whole process — and I know it wasn’t easy,” said Cassandra. “Everyone in our family, our mindset changed. He taught us to look at the bigger picture.”
Cassandra surprised her father by signing the two of them up for the event. The pair cycled together when they lived in Ontario and are now training together in preparation for the ride.
The two-day cycling event will take participants through the Rocky Mountains to raise funds and awareness for a cancer-free future.
The money raised will be dispersed by the Alberta Cancer Foundation to support patients and their caregivers at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, the Cross Cancer Institute and 15 other cancer centres across the province.
To donate to Mark and/or Cassandra Warmington’s Ride to Conquer Cancer — or to learn more about the initiative — visit conquercancer.ca.
