Two women local to the Williams Lake area are biking 850 kilometres to raise money for childhood cancer research and support.
Sharleen Bast and Jamie MacPherson are both volunteer firefighters at the 150 Mile House Fire Department. They will be joining 12 other riders on the Cops for Cancer Tour de North this year, starting in Dawson Creek on Sept. 20 and ending in Williams Lake on Sept. 26.
“We all wear the same jersey that says Cops for Cancer, and that’s kind of the beauty of it.” MacPherson said in an interview. “It’s all these different agencies coming together for a really good cause.”
MacPherson has been a firefighter for 17 years but is also riding with the tour as a paramedic. She works full time as a paramedic in Williams Lake and has been with BC Emergency Health Services for 13 years. This will be MacPherson’s fifth or sixth time riding with Cops for Cancer, but she’s also volunteered as a support paramedic in the past, making this her 10th year with the fundraiser.
As for Bast, this will be a first for her not only as a participant of Cops for Cancer, but as a road biker too. She’s got lots of experience as a mountain biker though, and she’s already done 2,600 kilometres on her road bike since May.
“It’s pretty fun, especially when you peddle hard and you actually go fast,” she said, comparing the road bike to a mountain bike. The biggest adjustment Bast has had to make is having her foot clipped to the bike, which makes for a more efficient ride. She’s had to practice clipping in and out of the bike in her yard, but she said: “you still lose your balance or unclip one foot and fall in the other direction.” They both laughed and said it’s bound to happen at times.
Bast is a full-time dental hygienist in Williams Lake and has been with the 150 Mile House Fire Department for 10 years. “I am riding to support all kids with cancer, but I am also riding in memory of 150 Mile House Fire Chief Stan McCarthy, who passed away from cancer three years ago.”
MacPherson said she was first inspired to ride for Avril Chevigny of Williams Lake, a childhood friend who had lymphoma and leukemia and died at just eight years old. Today, she rides for her many honorary team members, children affected by childhood cancer. That includes local six-year-old Duncan Eckert who is currently undergoing treatments for leukemia, and who had to start first grade at Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver.
“Every year that you ride or that you’re involved with this cause there’s just more and more reasons to ride,” MacPherson said.
Bikers on the tour are expected to train about four times a week and have targets to meet leading up to the tour. Bast said they need to bike a minimum of 1,500 kilometres to get in shape for the seven-day ride during which the longest stretch will be almost 200 kilometres.
“It's not a relay, you are biking every single kilometre,” MacPherson clarified. “Every single day we’re doing that as a team.”
With a funding target of $200,000, the group has raised $77,816 as of Sept. 13. Since its 1997 foundation, Cops for Cancer has raised more than $54 million, allowing 600 children to attend Camp Good Times in 2023 and seeing a 13 per cent increase in cancer survival rates.
MacPherson said donations are to help with more than just a child’s lifespan but increasing their quality-of-life post-cancer. She and Bast are very grateful to their donors and sponsors, and said donations can be made by visiting the Tour de North 2024 website.
