10 x 21: Cycling and Raising Funds for Chemo Chairs Along the Trans Canada Trail
Meet Cyndy McLean, avid handcyclist, and nature and trail enthusiast, based in Guelph, Ontario. For the month of September, Cyndy has set an ambitious goal: to bring awareness to and raise funds for the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre through a series of cycling trips in regions served by the cancer centre: 10×21: Cycling 4 Chemo Chairs.
“Five years ago, I was in the thick of chemotherapy. I had been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic colon cancer in November of 2018 and I had 18 inches of colon and two-thirds of my liver removed,” says Cyndy. “Unfortunately, there was still evidence of cancer after the surgery, so that meant that I needed to have chemotherapy. I began my first chemo treatment on my 49th birthday and I proceeded to have 21 treatments over the course of 10 months.”
Photo credit: Gord Harris
Fast forward to April 2023, when Cyndy underwent another liver resection. “As I approached my five-year anniversary of starting chemo and at the same time, recovering from surgery, the timing really resonated with me. I thought that it would be good to try to do something to give back to the hospital to acknowledge all the wonderful care that I had received,” she explains.
10 rides, 21 kilometres each, 4 chemo chairs
Photo credit: Mairin Viol
Cyndy, a self-described numbers person, started thinking about how she could incorporate handcycling into a fundraiser. Cyndy uses a handcycle because she is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a spinal cord injury. In 2003, she and her dog fell 80 feet off a cliff while hiking in Michigan. “I thought I could play on the 10 months, 21 treatments – and that kind of birthed the concept of the fundraiser,” she says.
She’ll set out on 10 rides of 21 kilometres each from September 9 to 30, with each ride in a different community that is served by the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, which serves both urban and rural communities in the Waterloo-Wellington region. All funds raised will be allocated to purchasing new chemo chairs for the cancer centre – a need they identified when she reached out to them to discuss the fundraiser.
Showcasing the beautiful trails of the region
Photo credit: Mairin Viol
“I’ve selected routes that are almost predominantly trails because I think it’s also a lovely way to showcase the beautiful trails in our region,” says Cyndy. Three of her rides will take place along the Trans Canada Trail: in Elmira, along the Kissing Bridge Trail; in Kitchener, along the Iron Horse Trail; and in Waterloo, on the Laurel Trail. “Choosing to ride on trails, including the Trans Canada Trail, is a wonderful way to showcase these beautiful, beautiful spaces within our region.”
“Trails are a particularly good choice as a handcyclist because I sit very low to the ground and don’t move nearly as fast a vehicular traffic,” explains Cyndy. “I average about 15-20 kilometres per hour. Also, these trails are relatively flat, paved or well packed, and very well maintained. Whether an urban trail like Iron Horse or a rural trail like Kissing Bridge, there is lots to see, and I am looking forward to this adventure.”
Find Cyndy along the Trans Canada Trail on September 13 (Elmira), 19 (Kitchener), and 24 (Waterloo), and along other trails in the region throughout the month of September! Donate to her campaign here and follow her adventures on Facebook and Instagram.
