Robin Whooten

Why I Ride

Cancer has touched my life in more ways than I can count.

For a long time, when I’ve talked about why I ride, I’ve focused on my friend Elaine and her daughter, Michelle. Their story is a huge part of why this cause means so much to me, and Elaine’s Legacy Riders is a team I am incredibly proud to be part of.

But as I’ve thought about this year’s Ride for Cancer and what I really want to say, I realized that there are other pieces of my own story that I’ve mostly kept in the background.

My paternal grandmother died from cancer. I was close to her, and although many years have passed, losing someone you love to cancer leaves a mark. At the time, I don’t think I fully understood how much cancer would continue to touch the lives of people around me.

Over the years, I’ve watched friends and family members face diagnoses, treatments, uncertainty and decisions that no one should ever have to make.

Earlier this year, someone very close to me received news that brought that fear back again. Thankfully, after surgery and completing treatment, she has recently been able to return to work. I am so grateful to see her moving forward, but her experience was another reminder of just how quickly life can change when cancer enters the picture.

And there are others I care about who are walking very different paths—people making deeply personal decisions about treatment and quality of life. I don’t need to share their stories to say that I think about them, too.

Cancer is not one story.

Sometimes there is a diagnosis followed by surgery and treatment and, thankfully, the opportunity to move forward. Sometimes there are years of treatment and uncertainty. And sometimes the focus becomes comfort, family and quality of life.

But through all of these different journeys, one thing remains incredibly important: having access to timely answers and the best possible care when you need it.

That is one of the reasons the goal of bringing Nova Scotia’s first relocatable MRI to our province means so much to me.

And that brings me back to Elaine and Michelle.

Elaine’s story is one of the reasons I started this journey with Elaine’s Legacy Riders. Her life, her family and the impact she has had on so many people continue to inspire us. I feel incredibly honoured to help keep Elaine’s memory moving forward through our team.

When I ride, I ride for Elaine.

I ride for Michelle.

I ride for my grandmother.

I ride for my friend who recently got to return to work after a frightening cancer diagnosis.

I ride for the people I know who are still fighting, the people who are facing difficult decisions, and the families standing beside them.

And I ride for all the Nova Scotians who will one day need an MRI and hope that when that day comes, they won’t have to wait longer than necessary for an answer.

We are in the final push now  

Every donation matters. Every share matters. And every person who helps spread the word becomes part of something bigger than any one of us.