Nova Scotia man training for Ride for Cancer with purpose

Cancer survivor and amputee Joseph Robichaud prepares to cycle 50km in the Ride For Cancer.

Nova Scotian Joseph Robichaud is putting in the kilometres months before he lines up for this year’s Ride for Cancer, a ride he says is about preparation, but also about perspective.

This October, Robichaud will take on the Ride for Cancer, raising money and awareness for cancer care while also marking a deeply personal milestone tied to his own history as a cancer survivor.

“I’ll be riding 50 kilometres, and it’s about cancer care, and we all need to be aware of cancer and cancer care,” Robichaud said. “I’m a cancer survivor. Sixty-two years ago I had cancer, osteosarcoma.”

Robichaud says cancer has shaped his life since childhood. As a teenager, he says treatment left him unable to continue riding a standard bicycle, something that had once been part of his everyday life.

“One of the things I couldn’t do was ride a bike again,” he said. “So, you know, the years go by, life happens.”

For decades, cycling remained out of reach. But about 10 years ago, Robichaud says a combination of personal reflection and a fundraising initiative helped change that.

He was involved in a campaign supporting adaptive bikes for children with disabilities through IWK Health Centre. That experience pushed him to reconsider what was still possible for him.

“If I’m going to talk the talk, I have to walk the walk or ride the ride,” he said.

That led him to explore adaptive equipment, eventually finding a recumbent arm bike that allowed him to cycle again using his upper body.

“I looked into these recumbent arm bikes, and it’s exactly what I needed,” Robichaud said. “It works perfectly for me.”

Since then, cycling has become part of his routine again, and now part of his preparation for the upcoming Ride for Cancer.

Robichaud says he has been training consistently in the lead-up to October, typically riding a couple of times a week and gradually increasing distance.

“The preparation really is getting out at least a couple of times a week until October, more if possible, and increasing the distance,” he said. “Ensure that I’m ready for it.”

His longest recent ride has been 41 kilometres, putting him just under his target distance.

Last year, he said he completed about 41 kilometres during training as well, and this year he is aiming to go further.

The 50-kilometre distance, he said, was a deliberate choice.

“The shortest distance is 25 kilometres, the longest is 160,” Robichaud said. “So I thought I’ll look somewhere in the middle.

“In cycling terms, I think riders who ride a lot would look at 50 kilometres as a walk in the park. But it’s a challenge, and I think we all have to rise to the challenge.”

For Robichaud, the ride also connects to earlier efforts he made to support adaptive sports and accessibility.

He says his involvement in fundraising for adaptive bikes for children helped him reflect on his own experience growing up after cancer treatment, when access to cycling was no longer possible for him.

“That was something I desperately wanted to do after I recovered, to ride a bike again,” he said.

Robichaud says those experiences continue to motivate him, especially knowing the impact adaptive equipment can have for children at the IWK.

“The goal was to raise enough to purchase as many bikes as possible, and we raised enough money to buy three,” he said.

He is part of a six-person team for the Ride for Cancer called Colleen’s Cuties, led by fellow cancer survivor Colleen Farrell. The team is raising funds in support of cancer care through the QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation.

Robichaud set a personal fundraising goal of $5,000. So far, he says he has raised nearly $2,300, with several months still to go before the ride.

He says the support has been encouraging, but the motivation remains the same regardless of the final total.

“It’s simply to do it and help,” he said.

Outside of cycling, Robichaud says he has stayed active through other sports over the years, including canoeing, kayaking, and dragon boating – activities he says were more accessible physically after his cancer treatment.

“We have to stay active,” he said. “It allows me to stay healthy and stay strong.”

As he continues training toward October, Robichaud says the ride is less about competition and more about consistency and commitment.

He says he hopes the message of his journey resonates with others facing challenges of their own.

“Never stop, just never stop, and be positive,” he said. “The only limits are the ones we place on ourselves.”

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