Chris Reidy and Deirdre Thomas

“Challenging ourselves to do something that we never thought possible, especially with young children, makes us feel fulfilled. We feel like we can conquer cancer and the world!!!”
 
Chris Reidy and Deirdre Thomas are ordinary moms, just like us. But they did an extraordinary thing. They walked 60 km in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer (2008 & 2009), and then looking for an even bigger challenge, cycled 200 km in the Ride to Conquer Cancer (June 2009). Although Chris and Deirdre’s life became busier while training and fundraising, it also became richer and more fulfilled. Their experience allowed them to make a difference in the world and feel good about their contribution. They were also positive role models for their children. They feel so strongly about their cause that supporting and fundraising for cancer research is now a part of their life. They plan to ride again in 2010.
 
So many of us have good intentions and want to make a difference but few of us act on it because we are too busy.   We think we will be overwhelmed and stressed if we take on more. This isn’t necessarily true. Read Chris and Deirdre’s inspiring story to see how they did it. They are a wonderful example of what it means to be a Mother on Fire.
 
MOF: What inspired you to do this?
 
Deirdre: My friend in England had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was undergoing aggressive treatment. I felt helpless being so many miles away. I wanted to show her that I was thinking of her. I decided to do my part to combat this awful disease. I asked a group of moms in the school playground to join me in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer 60 km walk.
 
Chris: When Deirdre approached me I was not familiar with The Princess Margaret Foundation, nor had I ever heard of the walk. But I decided to join Deirdre’s team along with another friend, Victoria Hayes. My reason was simple: I did it because I could. I wanted to make a difference. After the walk, I decided to sign up for the Ride to Conquer Cancer 200 km bike tour with Deirdre’s team. Initially, I signed up to give myself more of a physical challenge, however at Christmas my reasons became more personal. Deirdre lost her mother to pancreatic cancer. Our team, “Laps for Lil”, was put together in memory of her mother.
 
MOF: How did you make it work with your kids and family?
 
C&D: We could not have taken this on without the support of each other. We worked together every step of the way, not just with the fundraising but also with the training, especially for the bike ride. As busy moms, family comes first, children get sick, and so you need the support of your friends to make it work. We’re fortunate to have each other to lean on when we need help.
 
It was challenging juggling training rides, fundraising activities plus our regular “mom responsibilities”. Compromises had to be made for a short time. The training for the walk was easy because we didn’t do much, just 2-3 hour walks when we could. The bike ride involved more training because we had never biked this distance before. We didn’t even have the proper bikes or gear when we started training. We were beginners, non-cyclists! We biked during the weekdays when our kids (then in kindergarten) were in school half day and most Sunday mornings. The weekday rides were easy to plan but we still had to make sure we were back in time to pick up our kids. There were many times we showed up at school in our cycling gear! Our longer Sunday rides were always in the early morning so that we still had lots of time to spend with our family. Our husbands called themselves “cycling widows”! Our families now support and accept that fundraising is part of our life.
 
MOF: Can you provide some examples of how your family got involved with your fundraising?
 
C&D: Sure. For our first Girls Night Out Comedy fundraiser, our kids tagged along to drop off tickets all over the city. Initially they weren’t impressed but when they saw photos of the event in the local newspaper, it all started to make sense to them. 
 
There was also lonely work too. We spent long late hours putting together hundreds of loot bags for our comedy night while our kids were in bed. Luckily, the day of the event our friends arrived in their minivans, kids in tow to help us set up for the event. Our friends and family supported us every step of the way.
 
MOF: What was your biggest challenge?
 
C&D: We had two challenges. The first one was convincing ourselves we could raise the funds.   We had to raise $ 2000 each for the Walk to End Breast Cancer and $ 2500 each for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. We decided early on to organize events rather than just target our friends and family for donations. We came up with a short list of events. From this list, Girls Night Out Comedy was created, as well as a bunch of smaller events.
 
The second challenge was balancing family commitments, training and fundraising. We did the majority of our work when the kids were in school or sleeping. It was tiring and overwhelming at times but our commitment and motivation kept us going. We felt good knowing we were contributing towards a worthwhile cause.
 
MOF: What did you learn?
 
C&D: We learned that participating in events such as these is a life enriching and life changing experience. Even though we were walking and riding as individuals, collectively as a group we were all making a difference. You have to experience such an event to truly appreciate the meaning of “strength in numbers”. Seeing the sea of yellow shirts ahead of us during the ride is a powerful image that will stay with us forever.
 
Words cannot describe how we felt when we crossed the finish line. We didn’t think we could walk or ride the distance or raise that amount of money. Often as stay-at-home moms, we don’t get the recognition and boost to our self-esteem that we all need. Challenging ourselves to do something that we never thought possible, especially with young children, makes us feel fulfilled. We feel like we can conquer cancer and the world!!!
 
We also learned that we were positive role models for our children. We will continue to instill in them the idea that everyone must do their part to make the world a better place.   It was also important to show our kids that we are more than just moms. Now they tell their friends their moms raised money for cancer. And they want to do their part and contribute too. It’s a great feeling knowing we have done something to help others. Once you do it, you’ll find fewer reasons not to do it again!
 
Stay tuned for the next Girls Night Out Comedy fundraising event coming in Oakville in Spring 2010. This is the perfect way to show your support and have a laugh! It has sold out for the past 2 years so make sure you get your tickets early.
 
If you would like to sponsor Chris and Deirdre for the 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer go to

http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2010?px=1728838&pg=personal&fr_id=1311