An Airdrie man has many reasons why he's riding with thousands of others to try to find a cure for cancer this weekend during the 11th Annual Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer that sets off tomorrow (August 17) from Calgary.  

Not only is Richard Webb a cancer survivour himself but his sister has also battled the disease and his wife works for a plastic surgeon who specializes in cancer treatments: melanoma, and breast reconstructions, at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.

Webb talked about his own cancer journey.  "In 2015, I had a hernia and they were doing some investigating to get my hernia repaired and they stumbled across that I had a tumour in one of my kidneys.  About two months later, I went in for surgery and I had my right kidney removed.  At the time, it would have been nice to save part of the kidney but where the tumour was was right in the middle of the kidney so I had to lose the entire kidney.  It was an extreme shock.  You can never prepare yourself for news like that."

Two years after receiving the diagnosis, Webb received the excellent news that he was cancer-free.  Despite being diagnosed with cancer, undergoing surgery and recovery from it, Webb uses the word "lucky" to describe his feelings when he was told the cancer was gone.  "I felt extremely lucky. Through my friends and my wife's work, I hear what other people go through," says Webb.  "The number of surgeries, chemo, radiation, and multiple surgeries sometimes that they go through.  I had fairly minor surgery to remove my kidney and now I'm cruising along perfect.  I feel extremely lucky how everything worked out for myself."

In 2018, cancer reared it's head once again in Webb's family when his sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery to perform a lumpectomy.  "For her, it was quite a shock," explains Webb.  "She had to wait about six weeks to have surgery.  My sister was also extremely lucky when they caught it because she didn't have to have chemo but she ended up having radiation treatments.  I learned about how tired radiation makes you.  Three months after my sister finished her radiation treatments, she was still tired."

Tomorrow, Webb and thousands of other riders will embark from the Shane Homes YMCA in north Calgary on the 200+ km Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer.  Now in its 11th year, the ride has raised nearly $75 million for the Alberta Cancer Foundation.  Webb says the team he rides with is known as the Tom Baker Cancer Conquerors.  This year, that group of riders is at close to $300,000 in fundraising.  Webb himself has raised over $26,000 in the three years he's been on the ride.

Webb explains that the reason he rides is to try to give back.  "I'd always ridden bikes a lot and when I was diagnosed I wanted to give back and help support people that maybe can't get out and do the ride and show support for all those people and help find a cure for cancer.  To me, it's very important that I can give back to clinical research to help other people with their cancer diagnosis and maybe find treatments that aren't out there right now that will help people recover and live longer with their diagnosis.

The riders will travel from Calgary to Sundre on Saturday before heading back to complete the trek on Sunday.  During the ride, a Riderless Bike Procession will take place representing those who once rode but have passed away.  Cancer survivours will lead the bicycle down an aisle while other riders pause for a moment of silence.  

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