My 200KM / 140 Mile “Ride to Conquer Cancer” June 11/12 – I did it!

I successfully finished the 2011 200KM Ride to Conquer Cancer, from Toronto to Niagara Falls, next weekend, June 11/12. It turned out to be a 113K first day, and 107k on the second day, with times of 4 hrs 35 minutes on day one and 4 hrs 17 minutes on day 2.

23 years ago, when my wife met me, I was a 2-pack a day chain-smoking fool. I remember my brand of choice was Matinee. I literally gobbled them back. It was awful. She got me to quit, cold turkey. I’ve never gone back.

Had she not got me to quit, I would imagine I would either be in the grave by now, or at a minimum, suffering the early stages of the inevitable conclusion of disease from a life on cigarettes.

What made the ride special was that I went with 16 year old son Thomas. He and I raised together just over $5,500 for this fundraising event.

The funds raised go directly to the Princess Margaret Hospital cancer foundation, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world.

Shortly after my wife got me to quit smoking in 1988, she got me out jogging — in a local cemetary, the irony of which was not lost on me.

The fact that I completed the event is a great thing, given the alternative. It is also a very important personal milestone.

My sponsors!

These are the awesome people who are sponsoring my ride through a donation to the Princess Margaret Hospital. They are the heroes of the ride. (Presented in order of donation, newest donations first.)

• Peter Budreski, Chartered Accountant, inspired by my Twitter post for support – and he knows me from 20+ years ago
• Mark Davis: ski buddy and friend. Always stays up way too late!
• Milan Popadich: another ski buddy. This guy could do 200miles on a bike in a heartbeat
• Theresea Beenken: senior VP, National Speakers Bureau, long time friend
• Gregy Wennyk: Senior VP, Sun Life. He saw me at a speech and was inspired to donate
• Mark Brandon: @MotiveLegal, inspired to donate through my Twitter post.
• Simon Anderson: @Futur1st, also inspired through Twitter.
• Mark Jeftovic: CEO, easyDNS.com, long time friend
• Jane Gyles: Thornbury, ski buddy and bonfire friend!
• Timothy Pinos: Lawyer, Cassels Brock, long time friend and fellow rider; he went with me on my first 100km training ride
• Marilyn Cassidy: Speakers Group speakers bureau
• Clemmer Group : Jim Clemmer, fellow speaker and leadership expert extraordinaire!
• W.K. Detlefsen: my boss from 25+ years ago, my mentor, my inspiration for innovation
• Dennis Craig: Ski buddy and long time friend. Dared to ski with me in the Swiss Alps!
• Scott Kress: fellow speaker, ski buddy, Mt. Everest champion
• Lisa Coleman: Speak Inc Speakers Bureau
• Arnold Sand: SMENet Sports and Entertainment speakers bureau
• Michael Frick: Speakers Platform speakers bureau
• Derek Sweeney: Sweeney Agency speakers bureau
• Peter Smith: ski buddy
• Rob Sykes: long time friend
• Kelly Nelson: CFO, National Sea Products. Worked with him 30+ years ago!
• Laura Boland: ski buddy
• George Przybylowski: ski buddy
• Peter Berczi : ski buddy
• Andrew Cohen: CEO, Collaborative Speakers