Team Enbridge-Gazifère members motivated for this weekend’s epic journey in Quebec
By Suzanne Lafond
Team Enbridge member for the 2016 Quebec ERTCC
Suzanne Lafond, Team Enbridge rider for the 2016 Quebec ERTCC
Why am I involved in the 2016 Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer in Quebec?
I consider myself lucky to be an active and fairly athletic person. As I approached my 50s, I was looking for a more concrete way to reach my personal goal: to be as physically fit as possible in 2016 and for many years ahead.
At the same time, I was looking for a way to ease the pain I was experiencing in my lower right back as a result of arthritis, a calcified herniated disc, and weakening of my L5 lumbar vertebra. I made major changes to my diet and, after two months of Pilates, I registered for semi-private sessions with a kinesiotherapist to strengthen my entire core and back to alleviate the pain, with some success.
I have been cycling with my partner for about 10 years. Cycling is an excellent way to stay in shape.
We all know someone, a friend or family member, who has been affected by cancer. In my workplace alone, several colleagues have been diagnosed with cancer, and two co-workers are breast cancer survivors. A retired colleague who beat prostate cancer several years ago is once again having health problems associated with the primary cancer, and very recently, a former colleague was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and died just before retiring and before having the opportunity to get to know his granddaughter.
On a more personal note, my mother-in-law had breast cancer in 2006 and was declared cancer-free five years later. However, in early 2016, skin lesions appeared and she was diagnosed with cancer again, this time with angiosarcoma.
In May she underwent invasive surgery, including the removal of her left breast and a large area around her chest, and a graft using skin from her left leg.
How is this possible? Why did she get cancer again? What can I do?
Through my involvement and participation in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, I want to contribute more to research into the scourge of cancer. My greatest hope is that a cure can be found.
So this weekend, with two of my co-workers, I am going to ride more than 200 kilometres to conquer cancer.
(Suzanne Lafond is a Human Resources Advisor with Gazifère, an Enbridge company.)
