Jon Adams’ first time cycling to raise funds for the BC Cancer Foundation got off to a bumpy start — despite, or maybe due to, the front suspension of his hard-tail mountain bike.
“I was new to cycling and I had this heavy bike,” he says, adding, “Even my wife had doubts, though not necessarily about my ability to train and cross the Tour de Cure finish line. “She warned me, ‘You better meet your fundraising goal.’ This was 10 years ago,” laughs Jon, “and we couldn’t afford to chip in $1,000.”
Jon’s dad faced cancer off and on for 15 years. In honour of his long journey, and his altruistic endeavors which included driving fellow cancer patients to their appointments, Jon signed up for the two-day cycling challenge after his dad passed away in 2014.
To his wife’s relief, and thanks to an outpouring of support from family and friends, he had no problem meeting the fundraising minimum. And, due to the unprecedented, “crazy, almost hurricane-like” weather on ride weekend, the mountain bike also came in handy. “I literally had to go over two trees that fell on the road.”
Obstacles aside, “I was hooked,” he says. A decade later, Jon’s bike is more streamlined and he’s more than hit his fundraising stride, surpassing an incredible $100,000 raised since 2015.
Jon makes a pit stop at an RBC cheer station while riding in the Tour de Cure.
Thrilled to have reached this milestone, Jon, who co-captains Team RBC, says, “I’m probably even more proud of the growth of our team (from a handful of participants to over 50 riders at its peak) knowing that together we have an even greater impact.”
As a Tour de Cure Breakthrough partner, RBC is just as invested — hosting the annual Women’s Ready to Ride Clinic (female-friendly training sessions led by RBC Olympians Laura Brown and Annie Foreman-Mackey) and manning RBC cheer zones along the course.
And if the RBC mobile truck isn’t assisting a community in need, due to a wildfire or another emergency, it offers riders support with charging stations at the Chilliwack camp beside the RBC Olympian stretch zone.
Jon says there’s a reason the Tour de Cure inspires him and his company to return year after year: “It’s not about finishing first. It’s about connecting with people, reading their name plates, having a conversation, noticing the gold (survivor) arm bands and the gold helmets (five year’s riding). Many of us enjoy that more than the actual biking.”
What began as a way to honour his dad, is now more about supporting people still facing cancer and paying back BC Cancer for their many years of life-extending care, says Jon.
“When my dad passed away, he was 72. He got to see his adult children complete their schooling and start their careers. He saw all his grandchildren born. We’re very grateful … a lot of people don’t get that time.”
Register now to volunteer in the BC Cancer Foundation’s Tour de Cure presented by Wheaton Precious Metals on Aug. 24/25 — or donate to support a team or rider.
