This August, I’m taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge again — but this year it’s personal in a new way.

Cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in Canada, with over 1,700 Canadian kids diagnosed every year. Kids should be living life, not fighting for it.

This year, I’m also riding for myself. I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and I’m currently in treatment. Getting on the bike this August isn’t just a fundraising challenge for me — it’s part of how I’m staying strong and motivated through my own fight. Every kilometer is for the kids, and for me too. I’ve had to scale my goal back from last year to 400km to be realistic given my treatment schedule, but I’m still determined to get out there and ride.

It will be a tough month, but it’s nothing compared to what kids with cancer face every day, or what so many others fighting this disease are up against right now