Courage for Lisa
Held by Rob Smith
Tour de Cure presented by Wheaton Precious Metals
35 supporters
I am riding in the 2024 Tour de Cure to help raise money for the prevention and cure of Brain Cancer. I have been aware and appreciative of this event since it began and I believe that the fundraising is helping to move us closer to a solution.
I have seen first-hand what can happen when a person is diagnosed with Brain Cancer. My wife was the picture of health. She exercised every day, had a healthy diet and we led an active, busy life, full of friends and family. She played soccer, hiked, practised yoga, rode bikes, entertained, baked, and enjoyed life. In March of 2015, Lisa was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Multiforme (brain tumor). It was determined that the tumor was inoperable, and she received 30 radiation treatments with concurrent oral chemotherapy. She was compromised by the radiation treatments, but recovered to the point where we could go for walks, and have visits with friends. By the end of 2015, we knew that she would not recover from this devastating disease. Over the first half of 2016, we did everything we could to stop the tumors progress, but it continued to evolve. She succumbed to the disease in July of 2016.
I was lucky enough to have known Lisa for over 30 years, and we enjoyed our life together every day. We had five children together, who were the focus of our lives. Our kids are now range in age from 36 to 28, with 2 grandkids, and more on the way. Lisa has missed weddings, pregnancies, births, and many other events in our family because of this disease. She was an exceptional mother, wife and person, and brought something special into the lives of everyone she knew.
Lisa and I started riding road bikes together in 2010, and loved spending time together while getting exercise. I am riding this August with my kids as well as many of Lisas family and friends. We are riding on the Courage for Lisa (French pronunciation = Koo-rahj) Team. The name came from an experience Lisa and I had in France, where we were riding up a steep, long hill to see the finish of one of the stages of the Tour de France. Lisa had a bad cold and her energy was compromised, but she kept going. As she rode past the locals, they yelled 'Courage, Courage!'. As with most things in Lisa's life, she made it, and we had lots of fond memories of that day, even though it was tough. I know that riding in the Tour de Cure would have been something that Lisa would do, and it would make her happy that we are riding to help in the search for a cure for the disease that ended her life.
Thank you for taking the time to read this farAsking for donations is my least favourite part of this experience, but it is a pre-requisite to be able to participate. Donate if you want to, but please dont feel bad if its not your thing!
Thank you.
Rob
