Wheelin' Warriors of the North began participating in the BC Cancer Foundation’s Tour de Cure bike ride in 2012 after founder Karin Piche lost her friend Nola to cancer.
The Warriors raised $2 million for the cause before Tour de Cure announced on Oct. 29, 2024, that it would end the annual event. The two-day, 200-kilometre ride, which started in Cloverdale and ended in Hope, had seen hundreds of cyclists participate each year.
The event ran for 16 years, raising more than $131 million for cancer research. Now, members of the Prince George-based Wheelin' Warriors of the North must pivot to another fundraising avenue if they wish to continue supporting the BC Cancer Foundation.
Though the sudden end of the event was hard to process, Piche is now focused on a new plan as spring approaches.
This May, Piche and her Wheelin’ Warrior friends, old and new, will take on the Workout to Conquer Cancer challenge, where participants commit to moving for at least 30 minutes every day throughout the month.
“This May, I will move every single day to raise funds for life-saving research and care at the BC Cancer Centre for the North – Prince George,” Piche said. “I will move for the people who cannot and for every survivor who now feels strong. This challenge is more than just exercise; it’s about coming together to push beyond our limits and make an impact for the 80,000 British Columbians facing cancer each year.”
When Piche started Wheelin’ Warriors of the North in 2012, the goal was always to direct funds raised toward the north.
“It took five years before I could actually get the funds to our cancer centre, and I didn’t want to let that go,” Piche said. “The team is in a unique position, and so is anyone in Prince George who supported us in any way – whether they became a rider, donated to a rider, sponsored an event, or contributed cookies to the bake sale. All those funds supported our clinic.”
While Workout to Conquer Cancer isn’t a new event, it’s now the fundraiser that Wheelin’ Warriors can participate in—whether by riding bikes or doing any other form of movement. Teamwork is key to the fundraising effort, and group rides will be scheduled throughout May to help participants meet the goal of moving for 30 minutes a day.
This fundraiser has a different setup: each team must raise a minimum of $5,000. Piche, however, has set the team goal at $10,000, with hopes of surpassing it.
“As a team, we just have to shift our thinking a bit from the Tour de Cure ride,” Piche said. “The priority—the goal—is to raise as much money for our cancer centre as possible. But this time, it’s not about a big bike ride at the end. It’s about doing what we can to raise those funds throughout May.”
Though she only created the team on the Workout to Conquer Cancer site two weeks ago, there are already 14 members on the roster.
“I’m hoping for at least double that,” Piche said.
“I have a health and fitness background, and it was always about encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle through movement. Tour de Cure just happened to be on a bike. This fundraiser is more inclusive because we’re encouraging people to move in any way they can for 30 minutes each day.”
This challenge serves as a reminder that, together, we are stronger than cancer, Piche added.
“I will give it my all and move forward with the team,” Piche said. “As soon as the weather improves, we’ll get together for group rides like we’ve always done. It’s fun to ride with others. It starts with you, with all of us.”
Since 2017, Workout to Conquer Cancer has raised more than $5.4 million, with 12,600 participants and 1,425 teams contributing more than 11 million minutes of movement.
For more information and to donate to the Wheelin' Warriors of the North, visit Workout to Conquer Cancer.
