Sisters Michelle Mather and Shannon Dattilo are honouring their father’s memory later this month by taking part in an epic ride that will see them cycle from Vancouver to Seattle.
The twins, who grew up in Tsawwassen, and their husbands, Doug Mather and Rob Dattilo, are taking part in the annual Ride to Conquer Cancer. The more-than 200-kilometre ride is set for Aug. 29-30.
Mather and Dattilo’s father Pete Caswell passed away last July after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer.
“I just wanted to do something in my dad’s honour,” Mather said.
The two couples started talking about taking on the Ride to Conquer Cancer last year, but formalized the idea earlier this year and signed up as a team.
Dattilo said it seemed fitting to honour their father with an epic bike ride. He was very athletic throughout his life, playing hockey and rollerblading, until he got sick in 2013 at the age of 65. He died last July 31, just before his 67th birthday.
Rob Dattilo also lost his father, Frank Dattilo, to the disease and the foursome is riding in memory of both men.
The sisters agree the ride will be a challenging and difficult at times, but they say it’s nothing compared to battling cancer.
“A couple of days of pain is nothing compared to what he went through fighting for his life,” Dattilo said.
The team is registered under the name Team Elvis, named for their father’s love of Elvis Presley.
Each rider must raise at least $2,500 to participate. So far the team has exceeded that goal by raising more than $13,000, however it would like to raise more.
The Dattilos and Mathers are not the only locals spending their summer in training, and fundraising, for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Mother-daughter team Lydia Mah and Madi Tani are also set to take part in the marathon ride.
Mah said they decided to take on the ride in honour of family and friends who have been affected by the disease. They joined a group of other riders calling themselves Save Your Skin Foundation to increase awareness around skin cancer.
Tsawwassen resident, and Optimist publisher, Alvin Brouwer has also been in training for the ride.
Brouwer, a cycling enthusiast, is riding in honour of a friend who is a cancer survivor.
For more information about Ride to Conquer Cancer, visit www.conquercancer.ca. To make a donation, click on “Donate” and then search by rider or team name.
