In November 2021, my sweet, soft-hearted teddy bear of a father was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer.

Being his little girl—and because he always wanted to protect me and my brother from the monsters under the bed—he didn’t tell us he had been feeling unwell for some time, or that he was undergoing screening for the big C.

He chose to fight, and fight he did. He endured countless rounds of radiation and chemotherapy over three and a half years, until he decided he had no fight left. When he passed away on August 10, 2025, the cancer had spread to his liver, lungs, kidneys, and—ultimately—even his spirit.

I am running and raising funds for the Canadian Cancer Society in hopes of finding a cure for the disease that took my beloved daddy from me. Every step of this half marathon is for him, and for all families affected by cancer.

“You held your head like a hero, on a history book page.” – Taylor Swift