Cancer is a thief: a thief of security, a thief of experience, and a thief of life. When I think about when my grandmother lost her father to cancer, I still can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a relative to this terrible disease, let alone a parent. Whether I am in my late fifties and my parents are in their seventies, I simply cannot fathom living in a world without my parents. The devastating reality is though, that many people do, including young children, and I just cannot sit idly while cancer continues to take and take from families that don’t have much to give in the first place. Thus, I ride for the children who have been forced to grow up before they should have. I ride for the families that crumble under the immense weight and demand of this disease. I ride for the loved ones of people affected by cancer who are left feeling utterly devastated, hopeless, and alone. Lastly, I ride for those who cannot – the patients who have been unfairly denied the chance of truly living the fullest life possible.

If there is anyone in your life who has been affected by cancer that you would like me to ride for, please do not hesitate to email me (chantelle.edu@hotmail.com)! I would love to hear all of your stories, and it would be an honor to wear the names of those I ride for on my legs and on my bike all the way to Anchorage.

I pray that by embarking on this journey, I can spread hope that no one is ever truly alone in this process and that a cancer diagnosis doesn't have to mean the end. I pray that through the work of me, my team, and the teams before me, someday, we will pronounce cancer a curable disease.


To Alaska and back,

Chantelle Alejandra Cancel