More than 200 race
Kivi Park in support of Miles Against Cancer
Locals Tracy Hayes and John Macdonald
host Sudbury's first XTERRA: Conquer the Crater
by:
Keira Ferguson
This weekend, locals Tracy
Hayes and John Macdonald hosted the first XTERRA: Conquer
the Crater event at Kivi Park in support of the Northern
Cancer Foundation's Miles Against Cancer fund.
The three-day event welcomed more than
200 athletes from Sudbury and beyond, who competed in
a variety of events for the chance to be one of 10 racers
invited to the XTERRA World Championships held Oct. 31
in Maui, Hawaii.
Check
out photos of Saturday's Kids Day event here.
The Miles Against Cancer fund was started
by Hayes and Macdonald in honour of their son Malcolm,
to alleviate some of the financial burdens Northern Ontario
families face when having to travel for care.
At a young age, Malcolm was diagnosed
with rhabdomyosarcoma in response to a solid tumour in
his right ear, which presented as his face being paralyzed
on the right side. His diagnosis alone required a two-week
stay in Toronto said Hayes, followed by consistent return
trips and a six-week stay for radiation treatment.
"You get told that your kid has cancer
and then you either have to suddenly make your way to
Sick Kids (Toronto) or CHEO (Ottawa) and you're staying
in hotels, you have all these extra costs, you have all
this extra stress, obviously, and depending on what type
of cancer your kid has means you're going to be staying
in those accommodations for a time," said Hayes.
"We're hoping to help with that."
Malcolm required 46 weeks of chemotherapy
to become cancer-free said Hayes, which would critically
lower his white blood cells to the point that he would
be admitted to the hospital every 3-5 weeks. Thankfully,
said Hayes, some of this treatment could be completed
locally, which is not always the case for those in Northern
Ontario.
While the Northern Cancer Foundation is
just around the corner for Hayes and her family, she said
those in Timmins, Chapleau or Sault Ste. Marie for example,
are forced to visit Sudbury for their follow-up appointments.
This can mean a considerable time off work and stress
to a family's dynamics if one parent is forced to stay
behind, said Hayes.
Having come to the end of their cancer
journey, Hayes said she and her husband were inspired
to support other Northern Ontario families through treatment
and help raise awareness by introducing "amazing
athletic events."
An athletic theme was a give-in for Hayes,
who in addition to being a family physician passionate
about health and wellness, shares a love of cycling and
running with her husband. The two competed in an XTERRA
duathlon in the past, which eventually inspired them to
choose the international event as a partner.
Hayes competed in the mountain bike portion
of XTERRA: Conquer the Crater's triathlon Sunday, with
two of her close friends.
Hayes said she and her husband hope to
make this an annual event, more similar to the style of
a festival rather than a standard race; with an emphasis
on family and fun.
Those
interested in supporting the Miles Against Cancer fund
can do so here.
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