For Vancouver residents Christian Jones and Matt Braun, biking is more than just a form of exercise.
Jones’ wife Hannah was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29 after discovering she carried the BRCA gene, marking her as being at high risk for cancer. What followed was a long journey filled with multiple surgeries, endless doctor visits, and sleepless nights — all while planning their wedding.
“We were pretty scared at first, and it took us a second to wrap our heads around it,” Jones said.
“Shortly after that, Hannah’s younger sister got diagnosed with breast cancer too, so she and her sister were going through the whole experience in tandem.”
With the support of the BC Cancer Foundation, Hannah and her sister Bethany went through chemotherapy and emerged cancer-free.
Fueled by their triumph, Hannah and her husband joined the Ride to Conquer Cancer. In doing so, they discovered a shared passion for cycling — and a new way to fight back.
Jones and his lifelong friend Braun then launched the Westfjord Charity Ride with the aim of raising $20,000 for cancer research. Days away from the beginning of their ride, they have already surpassed that goal, with over $25,000 raised for the cause.
Their journey will be a grueling 925-kilometre ride through Iceland’s rugged Westfjords, which they plan to conquer in just eight days.
Each day’s ride is like climbing Mount Seymour twice, all on custom bikes handcrafted by Braun himself. They expect to face inclement weather as they traverse the Westfjords’ coastline, fully prepared to deal with strong wind and rain.
The duo says the trek will be in honour of every survivor, every fighter, and every soul who keeps pedalling through the storm, showing that resilience can conquer any terrain.
