Walk it or work it this year’s Challenge for Life

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/03/2018 (2878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every year CancerCare Manitoba Foundation runs Challenge for Life — a one-day fundraising/awareness event. Participants commit to raising $500 for CancerCare Manitoba while taking an active role in maintaining their physical health and  reducing their personal cancer risks.

The 2018 Challenge for Life will take place on Sat., June 9, when Challenge for Life  2.0 participants can Walk It for  20 kilometres, beginning and ending at Assiniboine Park, or they can Work It by taking part in a 200-minute workout in the park. (Bear in mind that it won’t be 200 continuous minutes of exercise. There will be breaks, snacks and a variety of exercises such as yoga, CrossFit and aerobics, to name a few.)

Riverview resident Shannon Curtaz is excited to be part of a team called Wild Divas, and says she is inspired every year to take part in the Challenge for Life.

“I see what all of the dollars raised can do for families who are living with, fighting against, or have lost the fight with cancer,” says Curtaz, who supported both her parents through chemotherapy and radiation treatment, while making use of available counselling and support programs.

“I love that the funds raised by Manitobans stay in Manitoba, and that CancerCare is open about what they are used for.”

Curtaz comes back year after year, even after losing both parents to cancer.

“I believe in the good that CancerCare is doing, I am thankful for the care that my parents received and the respect that they were given throughout their treatment and palliative care,” she said.

Curtaz enjoys and appreciates the sense of community and support she experiences at the event.
“You are meeting people on the route, at every check stop, volunteers and participants who share their stories, cheer you on, give of their time to make a cure a reality some day, and until then, make fighting cancer a little easier every day,” she said.

“I love the cheers, the performers, everything! Even the years where we wore garbage bags and walked for long periods of time without talking because the rain was pouring down on us, and was squishing in our shoes, were worth it because we have a goal, we have a purpose,” Curtaz says of the event that has resulted in making lifelong friends.

“This past winter, I heard many people saying ‘Boy, I had the flu last month, and it really had me down for almost two weeks, but I am feeling much better now.’

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to say that we could beat cancer that easily? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to feel hope instead of dread at receiving a diagnosis? I believe that it can be done, so I will continue to help fight.”

For more information or to register, visit www.cancercarefdn.mb.ca