October 1, 2008
Squinting his eyes against the rain BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) paramedic Terry Mitchell splashes through the puddles that have taken over the road, the spokes of his bike flicking icy water up his back. Up ahead his fellow riders push through the cold without complaint, the only sound the rhythmic pulsing of 42 pedals pounding out the last kilometres of what has been an over 860 km ride. Despite the torrential rains that have overcome the home stretch, spirits are high. Thanks to support from colleagues, friends and family, Tour de North riders have surpassed fundraising expectations, collecting over $160,000 in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.
Terry Mitchell was not the only BCAS paramedic giving back this fall. Thanks to BCAS' commitment to past Cops for Cancer Tours and the legacy Terry helped build in the North, BCAS paramedics Al Pruden and Tom Venables were invited to join the Tour de Coast team as Tour Riders and paramedic Brian Thornburn was requested to ride alongside law enforcement colleagues as part of the Tour de Valley.
To prepare for what promised to be an intense ride, paramedics underwent a strict training schedule leading up to the events. A former competitive cyclist, Brian had no problem "getting back in the saddle", logging over 3,000 km between March and July 2008. With cycling a year round sport in the Queen Charlottes, Terry took a brief rest following the 2007 Tour de North ride, before logging 5,000 training kilometres. Tom and Al incorporated training into their fundraising initiatives, joining Tour de Coast members for a stationary cycling marathon on August 27, during which time they accepted donations based on the number of hours they lasted on the bikes continuously.
All riders would like to express their appreciation for the tremendous support of their colleagues, without which the Tours would not be possible. While this year's tours are over staff are encouraged to continue to give, to help support the countless Canadian families impacted by this debilitating disease.
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