Ride to Conquer Cancer

Next August, I’ll be participating in a 2-day major cycling event called The Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer®, benefiting the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR).

I’ll be cycling over 200 kilometres that weekend through Queensland’s scenic countryside, with thousands of other riders. All the proceeds will go to QIMR: a worldwide leader in cancer research and discovery, and one of the largest research institutes in the southern hemisphere.

I’ve agreed to raise at least $2,500, but I’ve set my personal goal to $3,000. So here’s where you come in – because I need your help to do that. Please consider making a donation of $100. Use the link here to visit my webpage and support me. It’s easy to set up a regular payment plan, too, if you prefer to spread your donation across several months. Please keep in mind the commitment I’m making to end this heartbreaking disease, and the personal efforts I’ll have to make to accomplish this.

When I say ‘heartbreaking’, here’s what I mean: with 1 in 2 Australians diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and an estimated 115,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in Australia in 2011, cancer is the second leading cause of Australian deaths and affects almost 20% of the population. More than 43,600 people are expected to die from cancer in 2011. That’s why I’m riding. To do something BIG about cancer. I hope that you’ll share this incredible adventure with me by supporting my fundraising efforts.

One of the major ways I’ll be fundraising is by donating the profits from my book Positive. This book is a collection of 50 stories of people who, against all odds, have found something good in the midst of their cancer experience. One of the big reasons I’m doing the Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2012 is to honour the amazing people who contributed their personal stories to Positive.

Every copy of Positive bought directly from me (personally or through my website) will play a part. I’ll have more information on that for you in January, once I’ve got the webpage up and running.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!