For a group of cyclists taking part in a 410-kilometre fundraiser for cancer research, the 240-kilometre mark was an inspirational stop on Saturday (July 3).
It was there that members of the Fraser Valley Try Like Terry team stopped at the house of Jacob Bredenhof, a young Abbotsford cancer survivor.
The team of 25 was cycling in the 19-hour Ride of Hope, and were greeted by the 16-year-old who, like Terry Fox, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at a young age.
And, like Terry, Jacob’s leg was amputated and he was later fitted with a prosthesis.
And also, like Terry, his brother Darrell Fox of Chilliwack is determined to do whatever he can to help eliminate the disease.
The Fraser Valley Try Like Terry team rides down Boundary Road during the Ride of Hope on Saturday, July 3, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
People cheer on the Fraser Valley Try Like Terry team including during the Ride of Hope on the border of Chilliwack and Abbotsford on Saturday, July 3, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Darrell, along with about two dozen other cyclists on the Try Like Terry team rode 410 kilometres from Terry Fox Plaza in Vancouver and throughout the Fraser Valley on July 3 to raise funds for the Terry Fox Foundation.
RELATED: Cyclists in event started by Terry Fox’s brother of Chilliwack to ride 410km Saturday
“It’s all about trying your very best,” Darrell said. “One of Terry’s sayings was ‘Anything is possible if you try.’ I believe in that. I think limitations are self-imposed and we can do anything we set our mind to.”
As of that afternoon, more than $70,000 had been raised by the Fraser Valley Try Like Terry team.
Jacob did a similar fundraiser back in September called Pedal of Hope where he rode with Darrell and others for more than 100 kilometres. They raised $110,000 for cancer research.
RELATED: Young Abbotsford cancer survivor rides 105-km with Terry Fox’s brother
The Fraser Valley Try Like Terry team is scheduled to finish their ride at sundown on July 3 and are planning on riding across the finish line at Vedder Park shortly after 9 p.m.
“I know with every loonie we raise today we’re saving lives in the future. I’ve seen progress, I’ve witnessed it,” Darrell said. “It’s what brings us together.”
To donate to the cause, go to terryfox.org/terry-fox-ride-of-hope.
Sixteen-year-old Jacob Bredenhof (second from right) chats with members of the Fraser Valley Try Like Terry team including Darrell Fox, Terry Fox’s brother (second from left) during the Ride of Hope on the border of Chilliwack and Abbotsford on Saturday, July 3, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Sixteen-year-old Jacob Bredenhof (centre) hugs Darrell Fox, Terry Fox’s brother, during the Ride of Hope on the border of Chilliwack and Abbotsford on Saturday, July 3, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
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