Consie Severson is back with her third Ride for Cancer — 24 hours on a stationary bike to raise money for cancer research.
“I’m not going to stop. Every time I turn around, it affects someone else. I just lost another friend over the weekend. I’m tired of losing friends. You keep hearing that someone else has it and someone else is gone,” she said.
“I was given a second chance and I don’t want anyone else and their families and friends to go through what I did. Until there is a cure, it is always a cloud, not knowing when it could strike again.”
Severson, a personal trainer at Ladies World, survived colon cancer three years ago. She has some thoughts for how people can best respond to family and friends who have or have had cancer.
“When I first came back to work, people didn’t know how to treat me. When people have cancer, know that they have no control over how they got it and just be supportive. Ask them what they need you to do for them. If you ask what they want, they might say nothing, because it is hard to admit to yourself that you need help, but try to find out what they need and help with that. Remember that they are still the same people,” she said.
When Severson finished her ride the first two times, raising a total of more than $12,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society, Vernon Branch, she was exhilarated.
“I was so happy that I did it. At first I couldn’t settle down. I have had so much support from the staff here and family and everyone. I was never alone during the ride. This year I will have some bikes set up so people can ride with me for any part of the time they want,” she said.
Severson encourages people to stay as strong and healthy as they can and to be positive.
“Don’t give up. Don’t stop. Don’t put things off until tomorrow. Do the things you want to do. If you’ve always dreamed of doing it, do it. It opens the doors to other things. My surviving cancer opened the doors for me and made a lot of connections with people and made it possible for me to help others.”
She’s working on her goals to improve her swimming so she can do a triathlon and to overcome her nervousness about flying so she can take a trip to Australia but right now she’s focused on the Ride for Cancer.
“We want this place so crazy with people, like a block party. We need to celebrate that we are still here and can do something to help somebody else,” she said. “I am going to keep riding until they find a cure and nobody has to have cancer anymore.”
Severson will be riding from 8:30 a.m. May 27 to 8:30 a.m. May 28 at Ladies World, 4406-27 St., Vernon. There will be a Zumba class during the afternoon and a barbecue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as well as music and things for kids to do most of the day and evening. There will be a raffle for a Norco Empire 5 downhill bike donated by Norco Mountain Bikes.
