Cancer survivor Mark Skilling of Ashburton is spreading awareness and raising funds this month for prostate cancer via the Blue September campaign.
The 64-year-old is virtually riding 4000km; 1000km a week for four weeks, via Zwift and has raised more than $3800.
He chose to support the campaign because it was a cause close to his heart.
He had family members affected and the funds raised would help people with day-today needs during treatment.
Skilling was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma two years ago.
‘‘When I went through my stuff, it was really easy to find yourself alone. It’s a support thing,’’ he said.
‘‘I know everybody has got to do it alone in the end, but it’s the family that gets stuck with it; they do the suffering most of the time.’’
‘‘I had a little lump on my neck and the doctor did a biopsy.’’
The months that followed were crippling as he had chemotherapy treatment every three weeks for more than six months; six rounds in total. It was a dark time, he said.
‘‘It was just shocking. I never got sick from the cancer, but the chemo nearly killed me. I was in and out of hospital.
‘‘They kept on boosting it up, seeing how close to killing me they could get,’’ he said, jokingly.
‘‘It’s laughable now, but it was shocking.’’
The treatment gave Skilling a glimpse into just how precious life was and how unsuspecting one can be of cancer symptoms on an otherwise fit and healthy body.
As a long time bike rider, Skilling decided to set his own 4000km challenge for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand campaign which would reflect his own battle against cancer.
He has clocked up more than 2500km in the past two weeks, riding at a steady 30km/ ph.
His goal each day is to ride about 200km, and so far, he is ahead of the programme he has set for himself.
‘‘I thought it was going to be a real stretch, but I can actually do it,’’ he said.
Skilling, and his wife Alene, live in Ashburton but own and run the Woodbury Cafe.
- – Support Mark Skilling in his campaign and donate funds online via the Blue September page: markskilling/ride-forprostate-cancer or via his event on Facebook at Blue September – 4000km Ride Challenge by Mark Skilling’.
