He should never have gotten cancer.
David Mah was a great outdoorsman and physically active. He was a cyclist, fisher, hiker, skier, snowshoer, kayaker, avid golfer and wildlife and nature photographer.
Mah was also a national award-winning Prince George Citizen photographer and everyone's friend in the Prince George community. To honour his memory after losing his battle to cancer last year, on the same day as the Relay for Life, the Friends of David Mah team has been formed to participate in this year's Canadian Cancer Society's 24-Hour Relay for Life on May 13 at Masich Place Stadium.
Chuck Nisbett, a Citizen pressman, is a member of the Friends of David Mah team and he plans to walk for all 24 hours from May 13 at 10 a.m. to May 14 at 10 a.m.
"If you look at Dave, he lived the lifestyle that doctors tell you to live," Nisbett said.
"He was always outdoors, he never sat around and he was always doing something. He knew this region and photographed this region more than anybody I know. He photographed the wildlife, the landscape and the people. A man like that just shouldn't get cancer. It's not right and something's gotta be done."
The idea to walk the entire relay came to Nisbett on the day of Mah's informal memorial held at the BX Pub last year.
"I know it's crazy and Dave will be giggling his head off at me but I know if the situation was reversed he'd do it for me," said Nisbett, who is also a professional photographer.
Nisbett has been in training for a while and estimates he does about 10 per cent of what he'd walk during the actual relay.
"I really don't know how you train for this because you can't really set 24-hour distances for yourself or do it like you would for a marathon, so I just walk," said Nisbett.
He's got a couple good pair of shoes he needs to break in that he will switch out throughout the relay because he's been advised they will compress over time, which won't offer the foot support he needs. So switching it up is the key to success.
24-hour relayers get 20-minute meal breaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and front-of-line priority if they're looking to get their meals at the concessions available on site. The relayers also get five-minute hourly breaks, which is just enough time to change socks, shoes or clothing. There's also bathroom breaks, but participants must be moving on the track at all other times.
To be recognized as an official 24-hour relayer a participant must raise a minimum for $525 in honour of the 25th anniversary of the Prince George 24-Hour Relay for Life.
"So you've got to have a decent support team and the Friends of David Mah are there and they'll be helping me out and Brenda (Nisbett's wife) will be there, of course, and that means there will be more than enough of what I need because that's just the way she is," said Nisbett. "It's just going to be a matter of just going for it."
Two relays ago, Nisbett did 58,000 steps in 12 hours and he's thinking this time it'll be between 120,000 and 130,000 steps.
"Or I may be completely off but we'll see," said Nisbett. "Something I say to myself all the time is 'you're nuts, what are you doing?' but hey, it'll be an experience - we'll raise some money and maybe we'll do some good in the end."
To donate to the Friends of David Mah team visit http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFL_BC_odd_?team_id=356406&pg=team&fr_id=22343
To boost the fundraising efforts, Mah's parents, Esther and Bud Mah, have donated Dave's two bicycles to be sold at Stride and Glide, 1671 15th Ave., with proceeds going to the Friends of David Mah cancer relay team.
"All Dave's equipment was well used and well maintained," said Nisbett.
Mah's mountain bike is a 2003 Kline Attitude racing bike, which cost $2,800 when it was new and the team is asking $500 for it. The second bike is a road bike, which is a vintage Miyata 712 Competition Road Bike, which cost $1,000 new and the team is asking $200 for it.
The bikes will be available for sale at Stride and Glide starting on Monday.
