"Mel Erwin is pragmatic about what it took to get her on a bike. I have one and a half lungs. I'm on a treatment drug. I don't identify as sporty. I wouldn't have done it without a goal. This Sunday the 57-year-old will roar up the Campsie Hills north of Glasgow in a camp as Christmas sparkly cape alongside her partner, Sarah, and 3,000 other participants."
"It's all part of the inaugural Tour de 4, a charity ride conceived by Sir Chris Hoy with the aim of challenging assumptions about those living with stage 4 cancer. The roaring is literal: during months of training, Erwin has found vocalising really helps on steeper inclines. And the pink and gold sequins encapsulate the spirit of celebrating each day woven through the event, a hallmark of Hoy's approach to his own stage 4 prostate cancer."
"The six-time Olympic gold medallist stunned the UK late last year when he revealed that his cancer was incurable, with a prognosis of between two and four years to live. Hoy's honesty and grace in sharing his circumstances moved Erwin, who has been living with stage 4 lung cancer for five years. It's rare that people speak out about having stage 4 cancer. The shame, the confusion, it's not something we speak about, she said."
Mel Erwin, a 57-year-old living with stage 4 lung cancer, trained to ride in the inaugural Tour de 4 and plans to cycle the Campsie Hills in a Christmas sparkly cape with her partner and thousands of participants. The Tour de 4, conceived by Sir Chris Hoy, offers routes and participation levels tailored to physical capacity, from one-minute static-bike rides to outdoor routes of increasing length and elevation. The event emphasizes preparation, inclusion, and celebration rather than speed. Hoy, who has stage 4 prostate cancer, aims to challenge assumptions about incurable cancer and raise funds for charities.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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