In just a few short weeks, the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer will celebrate its monumental 15th year, marking an incredible journey of hope, resilience, and generosity. Over the years, this extraordinary event has brought together 15,000 passionate participants who have raised an astounding $88 million in support of the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
As we embark on this milestone year, we pay tribute to 15 remarkable individuals who have been instrumental in shaping this legendary event.
But let us not forget that this is merely a snapshot of the countless individuals – each and every rider, fundraiser, donor, sponsor, and ambassador – who have made our Tour legendary. Every one of us has the power to make a difference, and when we unite for a common cause, we can continue to create a truly legendary impact for Albertans facing cancer.
Tegan Carmichael (1986-2019)
Tegan was diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma brain tumour at the age of 23. She spent the next six years riding with the Tour and fundraising over $60,000 to find a cure and provide care for those facing cancer. All while riding as team captain, she was also undergoing seven brain surgeries, two spinal surgeries, two rounds of radiation and multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Even just one week after surgery to treat her brain tumour, she was riding her bike to the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer office to officially commit to riding again just two weeks later.
Tegan’s fortitude made her a symbol of hope for everyone around her. With her tenacity and drive, it’s no surprise she has become one of our Legendary Riders. In her own words, this is what Tegan thought of the Tour:
“In this time, I’ve seen stats change. I’ve seen my life expectancy shift. This is 100% because of the research made possible via fundraisers such as the Tour. These [funds] are making a difference, and I’m seeing it first-hand. Trust me. Please, make a [donation].”
Adam Sorenson
Every cancer diagnosis is heartbreaking. But after our second Legendary Rider, Adam Sorenson, received his diagnosis at a young age, he is now gratefully cancer-free and thriving in his 20s. All thanks to the incredible work of donors and intense treatment at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
In 2013, Adam was diagnosed with stage IV brain cancer at the age of 13. He underwent surgeries, radiation, and received groundbreaking care for his cancer. Adam knew his recovery was a miracle and felt determined to create hope and miracles for others facing a cancer diagnosis and decided to become involved in the Enbridge Tour of Alberta for Cancer. While waiting to turn 16 (the age requirement for the Tour) Adam organized and participated in his own 100km fundraising training cycling ride just one year after treatment. Adam rode for the first time in 2018 at age 16 and was captain of the A-Team.
We thank Adam, and his parents Rebecca and Brad, for their unwavering passion and commitment to the Tour. They are the Legendary ambassadors of hope who will inspire our next generation of riders.
Leah Meier
Riding this year for the fourth time is our next Legendary Rider, Leah Meier. Currently facing cancer herself, Leah rides for everyone impacted by the disease — but mostly, she rides for her children. With a goal to ride 200 km over two days with all three of her children, her brother, and several friends, she reminds us of the importance of family and loved ones during trying times.
“This Tour is a labor of love for me and for my team and I am overwhelmed by the support I’ve received along the way!! Joining the Tour these past few years has given me a purpose, a chance to give back, a chance to make a difference.” – Leah Meier
We thank Leah, her family, and her community network for their outpouring support, helping make Tour Alberta a legendary event.
Vern Yu (Enbridge) & John Osler (McCarthy Tètrault)
Our 15th-anniversary ride would not have been possible without two instrumental ambassadors, who brought the inaugural Ride to Conquer Cancer event to life 15 years ago, later becoming the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer as we know it today.
Through their shared vision of a cancer-free future, Alberta Cancer Foundation Board Members, Vern Yu (Enbridge) and John S. Osler, K.C. (McCarthy Tètrault), joined forces with the ride to inspire thousands of Albertans to raise funds while cycling Alberta’s landscape. Trailblazing support from their companies, colleagues, clients and friends, both Enbridge and McCarthy Tétrault became official sponsors of the 2010 ride, and have never looked back.
As title partner, Enbridge continues to demonstrate the true meaning of partnership; wrapping its community investment, employee engagement and marketing efforts around this event year after year. Through their representation on the community leadership committee, volunteer leadership for event set-up and tear-down and all the work they put into maintaining the largest annual corporate team, Enbridge’s partnership has become integral to the success of the Tour. This team has truly been built from legends, led by Vern and the team captains: Duncan Meade, Ben Tsui, David Carmichael, Jason Ingledew, Allison Morley, Ashleigh Barnwell and John Dombroski as well as super volunteer Gillian Sandford.
McCarthy Tètrault’s un-wavering support from day one has made them a staple at our festival and along the route. John has led an incredible group of riders and dedicated volunteers who bring energy and enthusiasm to the finish line, and ensure our participants end their day with the hydration and nutrition they need. Our heartfelt thanks to the team at McCarthy Tètrault, and special acknowledgment of Rosa Masi for her legendary role alongside John as Team Captain.
Silas Rutley
For Legendary Rider, Silas Rutley, his stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis in 2015 changed his whole life. While being the primary provider for his family, and balancing his incredible care and treatment at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Silas was offered financial relief thanks to the donor-funded Patient Financial Assistance Program through the Alberta Cancer Foundation. He was then immediately inspired during chemotherapy treatment to participate in the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer. Only a few short years later, Silas was, and continues to be, one of the top fundraisers for the Tour, and is the first tire track jersey qualifier for 2023.
Silas knows firsthand the difference a single dollar can make in someone’s life since being a recipient of this support and has made it his mission to continue paying it forward and raise awareness, funds, and community spirit for others facing cancer.
In addition to participating in the Tour, he has since started a nine-hole golf tournament, the Best Ball Classic, which has helped him raise over $200,000 since 2016 for Albertans facing cancer.
We thank Silas, his family, and his ever-growing network for building a legendary community of ambassadors for the Tour.
Mary Beth Eckersley
Our next Legendary Rider, Mary Beth Eckersley, has inspired so many to join the Tour with her radiant spirit, and perseverance.
Mary Beth Eckersley is now a two-time cancer survivor. First surviving cervical cancer over 40 years ago, it was in 2012 that she received a devastating stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis that began a 10 year healing journey. Over the next decade, she endured 17 cycles of chemotherapy treatments, seven invasive surgeries, and one month of radiation to become cancer free. During her treatment, she was compelled to join the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer to raise funds and awareness on the importance of research and treatments for Albertans facing cancer.
Riding every year since the inaugural event, she proudly fundraises and supports each year to help build a cancer-free future. Knowing all too well the toll that cancer treatments can have on the human body, she’s also witnessed the incredible advancements being made to help Albertans just like herself. Over the last 15 years, Mary Beth has been an ambassador for herself, her family, and her network to give back and stay hopeful. Her inspiring words and actions have made her an integral Legendary Rider that she is today.
“Our future can be changed with research. I ride my bike to raise money for research and trust me, riding a bike is way easier than chemo!”
– Mary Beth Eckersle
Nigel Brockton
At just 18 years of age, our next Legendary Rider, Nigel Brockton, received his second cancer diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare type of bone tumor. In his own words, Nigel shared that he really shouldn’t be alive today, but 34 years later, he’s not just living, he’s thriving.
Nigel’s life trajectory changed after cancer. He is now in a pursuit of doing everything in his power to support others diagnosed with cancer and shifted a career in marine biology to cancer research instead. Nigel is also a devoted volunteer for cancer fundraising, and the founder of team One Aim for the Tour, which has raised over $2 million in support of Albertans facing cancer.
On and off the road, he is living life as a Legendary Rider and making a significant difference as a key ambassador for the Tour and building a cancer-free future for all.
Team Inspired by YOU
The journey of every Legendary Team taking part in the Tour has a different starting point. For the Legendary Team, Inspired by YOU, the journey began 15 years ago with Dean van der Merwe… and with his mother who was facing cancer in South Africa approximately 15,869 km away from him.
It was 2009, and Dean had just found out about his mother’s diagnosis. Like so many with relatives facing cancer, he felt helpless, unsure what he could do to help. So Dean decided to take part in the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer. He was now participating in something that would both show his support for his mother and contribute to making a tangible difference through the funds he raised for research.
His 77-year-old father, Anton, has done 10 Tours with him, while his brother, Rowan, has come from Sweden to ride three times. Throughout it all, they are all supported by Dean’s wife, Caryn and 15-year-old daughter, Suade, who not only helps fundraise but rides along in a support vehicle cheering and giving out hugs as needed.
The Tour also hit closer to home for Dean and his family when his wife was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in 2018. As devastating as the news was, the story has a much happier update as his wife is now in full remission; a condition Dean and his family attribute to the very type of ground-breaking treatments the Tour helps makes possible.
“I am lucky to have donors that have supported me every year, multiple years and many who give what they can, when they can,” says Dean. We’re sure he’s not alone and hope his story inspires others to follow in his tire treads!
Jarrid’s Team
In 2010, Jarrid Albert Rich, father of two, was diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma lung cancer, which led to extensive chemotherapy and surgeries over the next few years of his life. Despite this, in 2011, Jarrid decided to take part in his first Tour.
The following year, Jarrid truly shocked and amazed his family and friends by taking part in the Tour again – just six weeks after completing chemotherapy and with no pre-training!
Though cancer would take Jarrid from his family at just age 28, Jarrid’s Team – led by his godfather, Frank Symons – continues to embody his spirit of unrelenting determination and optimism. The members of Jarrid’s Team have never wavered in their belief that, with every kilometre they ride, they are helping those around them get ever closer to a cure. The team also carries with them Jarrid’s personal motto, ‘pay it forward’ – because they know others have done the same for their families.
Mike Fehr
After a decade of taking part in the Tour, Mike Fehr is definitely a Legendary Rider. It started when his sister, Melissa, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2011. Like so many, Mike watched Melissa undergo surgeries followed by long rounds of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. He watched again when the cancer returned in 2012 — this time, to her lungs and liver. Anyone who has been in Mike’s shoes can understand the feeling of helplessness he had and the desire to do something to help.
So, in 2012, when Mike saw an advertisement about the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer, he realized he could.
That was Mike’s first year participating in the Tour. It was perhaps bittersweet because Melissa had signed up to ride with him but had to drop out because the cancer had reemerged. Mike promised Melissa he would ride for as many years as he could for her, and he’s kept that promise all these years since his sister passed away.
He will be riding in this year’s Tour with the Legendary Team, Cops Crushing Cancer, where he (a Sergeant in the Edmonton Police Service) will be joined by his fellow officers and others, each with their own reasons to ride.
Mike is a Legendary Rider. Not for the years he’s spent riding in the Tour, but for the promise he kept to his sister, himself, and to the countless others he supports every year with every kilometre he rides and every dollar he raises.
Tom Hewitt, Dan Giesinger, Jamie Dawson
Three Legendary Captains, one incredible shared success story.
It’s hard to put into words the extraordinary contributions of Team NOV’s trio of captains, Tom Hewitt, Dan Giesinger, and Jamie Dawson. It goes beyond 8 years of participating, pulling together teams and committing to the intense training that makes the ride possible. It’s even more than the lives they have changed thanks to raising over $2 million for cancer research. It’s about who these men are at their core; captains who not only give their own time and resources to our cause but who inspire each and every member of their team to do the same.
In his first year, Tom went from a solo rider to a team of 40 others from National Oilwell Varco, including his friend and coworker, Dan Giesinger. Since then, they have been the constant faces of Team NOV, recruiting over 400 coworkers, friends and family to join them in their goal of making a difference in the lives of Albertans facing cancer.
For fellow Team NOV Captain Jamie Dawson, the Tour has a more personal meaning. He rides in honour of his father, who he lost to pancreatic cancer, and his mother-in-law, whom he lost to ovarian cancer. Having captained two teams over the years – one out of Calgary and one out of Red Deer – Jamie knows full well what it takes to complete the annual journey.
Together, these Legendary Captains have adopted any solo riders looking to join the Tour with a team, and in turn, given them a place to train, fundraise and donate themselves, with the highest average of self-donations across all teams at the Tour. They are motivators and mentors who guide their teammates in fundraising and soliciting sponsorships. They act as both coaches and cheerleaders who tirelessly lead their teams in training sessions. And on the Tour itself? They and their teammates are known for stopping a few kilometers short of the finish line to wait for everyone so Team NOV can cross together as one.
Three different captains. One united commitment: to make this year’s Tour the largest and most successful to date.
Daina Kvisle Aldous (1983-2021)
When Daina Kvisle Aldous spoke as an ambassador at the opening ceremonies of the Tour in 2018 and 2019, the power of her story and involvement with the Alberta Cancer Foundation, touched all who were present and inspired a community of support for her family, including her two young boys who joined her on stage. Daina was going through treatment at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre at the time, for her diagnosis of Gioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) brain cancer. A diagnosis that sadly took her mother two years prior. The genetic component of GBM is part of what drove Daina and her family to get involved with Alberta Cancer Foundation and fund a research chair dedicated to GBM at the U of C.
Ambassadors like Daina, are a vital part of the Tour. Not because of how often they ride or how much they raise, but because they believe so strongly in the cause, that they bring others on board. They create a momentum and influence that builds a cancer community where no one feels alone.
Sadly, Daina passed from her cancer in 2021, and to honour the memory of their mother, Daina’s sons Beck and Jack joined us at the 2022 Tour to walk alongside the Riderless Bike that carried her name on its plates. The Riderless Bike Procession represents all of those who we have lost, the friends, family, loved ones, and mother’s taken too soon. It reminds us why we do the Tour.
Daina’s legacy continues to inspire new riders, new teams and new sponsors at the Tour – the definition of legendary.
The Liebe Family
Kelly Liebe has faced breast cancer twice. Her husband – also named Kelly – survived stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma. And sadly, their daughter, Chrissy, passed from a recurrence of her cancer after going through the same diagnosis as her mother, in 2012.
During her first bout with breast cancer, Mrs. Liebe took part in a year-long clinical trial involving intense chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and isolation. It was one of the most difficult times of her life, but she did it thinking about the people who would later benefit from the research gained. Never did she expect one of those people would be her own daughter. The refined trial provided to Chrissy, had far fewer side effects, and allowed her to work, spend time with her children, and make memories as a family while receiving treatment.
Though they would later lose their daughter to a return of breast cancer, the Liebes are grateful for the difference in quality of life Chrissy received in her treatment, and the time their daughter was able to enjoy with her family.
Clinical trials are essential to finding new ways to treat cancer and improve quality of life for patients. The Alberta Cancer Foundation is the funding partner for clinical trials that take place across the Province, thanks in part to donations raised through the Tour.
After losing Chrissy in 2012, the Liebe’s decided to take part in the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer, and have recently been joined by their son, Clayton. What makes this family and team legendary, is their unwavering resiliency, courageousness and positivity through decades of diagnosis and loss. They have faced more setbacks, heartache and pain than any family should, yet their positivity and generosity for others shines through. They ride not for themselves, but for all of us.
Mike Peters (1967-2018)
When Mike Peters’ friends and family think about his legacy, this is how they often described him; “he was very proud of his family and often said he was thankful he had kids at a young age so he could see them grown up. He loved to hear about their life at university and what destinations around the world they would someday like to visit. Mike wanted them to soar.”
Mike Peters was a devoted father, legendary Tour ambassador, passionate fundraiser, and dedicated cyclist. He was diagnosed with aggressive kidney cancer and a 10-inch tumour in 2015. Sadly two years later the cancer had returned, metastasizing in his lungs. Mike’s resiliency throughout his cancer journey, becoming a top-fundraiser, speaking in the opening ceremonies, and being an advocate for building a cancer-free future, remains his legacy since passing in 2018.
As Mike shared in his opening speech at the Tour in 2017, “When you are told you have an expiry date you have some major decisions to make. You also need to make a decision on where you plan to spend your time mentally. You can spend time in the valley, a dark place where hope is lost and depression sets in or you can climb to the top of the mountain a bright place where anything is possible and a cure is just around the corner. I choose the mountain!”
Max Chan
In the face of adversity, remarkable individuals emerge with a newfound purpose. Max Chan, a cancer survivor, embodies this spirit as he passionately raises awareness and funds to support fellow Albertans facing cancer. Supported by his community and backed by his company Enbridge, Max’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of unity and giving back.
Max’s cancer journey began in 2020 when he was diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma, just weeks before the pandemic hit. Fortunately, treatments went well, and today, Max is grateful to be a survivor.
Inspired by his company’s longstanding commitment to the Tour Alberta for Cancer, Max joined Team Enbridge as a virtual participant in 2021, propelled by the desire to give back and support those affected by this life-altering disease. Since then, Max has raised over $300,000 for the Tour and plans to match all funds received on his personal fundraising page in 2023 with a gift to the OWN. CANCER campaign in support of The Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre (The Arthur Child).
“I have been very fortunate in my health despite my cancer experience as well as in life generally, so I am more than happy to be doing my part for The Arthur Child. This new hospital will be world-class and will change the way cancer in this province and city is treated. It will change lives.” – Max Chan
Max attributes his fundraising success to the generosity of his friends and family but also to his openness about his cancer journey. He believes that sharing his experience brings a greater awareness to the fact that cancer can affect anyone, emphasizing, “The intention isn’t to scare people. It’s to bring greater awareness that cancer does not discriminate,” he says. By forging genuine connections through his relatable experience, Max empowers others to lend their support, igniting a powerful movement of compassion and action.
Max Chan’s remarkable journey from cancer survivor to advocate embodies the spirit of the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer. Supported by the legendary partnership of Enbridge, Max’s story serves as an inspiration to all. Together, we can create a legendary impact and transform the lives of countless individuals affected by cancer.
