This group of dedicated first responders, media personalities and special guests have been training since the beginning of March to take part in Vancouver Island’s 2019 Tour de Rock team. 2019 marks the 22nd year of the Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock, and we are excited to celebrate this with Vancouver Island!
Since 1998, 330 police officers have been named to the Tour de Rock team, along with 52 others, including childhood cancer survivors, longtime volunteers, fire fighters, paramedics and members of the media who tell our story.
A new team is picked every year, and historically, only one person has ridden the Tour de Rock more than once. The men and women named to the Tour de Rock each year sacrifice a lot of their time during the seven months of their Tour experience. On top of fundraising, team members train on their bikes three days a week — hill night, speed nights and long-distance endurance rides — to help prepare the team for the physical demands of the 1,100-kilometre, two-week ride.
What is harder to prepare for is the emotional side of the journey. Tour de Rock team members are paired with members of our Junior Rider team, a group of Vancouver Island children who have a history of cancer. Some of them are currently fighting the disease and others are fortunately in remission, while there are also Junior Riders who are the sibling of a child who has lost their battle with cancer. The stories of the Junior Riders are both troubling and inspiring for the Tour de Rock team.