Less than three months after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer, Wayne English got on his bike and rode 200 kilometres.
That was in 2014 for The Ride to Conquer Cancer, a two-day cycling event that weaves through Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest and raises funds for the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
"That was pretty painful,” he tells the NOW.
Later this month, English will do it again for the fifth consecutive time.
For the Burnaby resident, cancer has hit his family hard. His father died in 1992 from a brain tumor, and six years later, he lost his oldest brother to lymphoma.
English was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014 after he went to the ER for an issue with his heart. He admits, at the time, he wasn’t going for any routine checkups.
“I ended up having one and that’s when they found out I had prostate cancer.”
Today, the 60-something is a strong advocate for men’s health. He’s helped other cancer patients and their caregivers by providing emotional and informational support through a peer navigation program run through UBC.
“It almost seems like every month, somebody I know has either died or is diagnosed,” he says, adding his cousin just finished chemotherapy for breast cancer and another cousin’s daughter recently died because she had a tumour in her spine.
“This year, they estimate over 21,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,100 will die,” English says. “It hits everybody, and some families, it hits more than others.”
The battle isn’t over for English. His cancer returned last summer and he and his oncology will be restarting treatment later this year.
But the news hasn’t gotten him down.
“I’ve got full faith in everybody that’s helping me,” he says.
On Aug 26 and 27, English says he’ll be riding for his dad and brother.
“I gotta be a little bit selfish here. I’m riding for myself, too. Because the system has really helped me. If it wasn’t for the fact of the dollars that The Ride to Conquer Cancer provides or raises, we wouldn’t have the research we do now.”
To date, the ride in B.C. has raised more than $77 million for the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
