Think of your family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Many of us have been touched by cancer and I expect that at least one person you know has battled the disease in some form, with 1 in 2 Australians diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.

Cancer does not discriminate, and no one is immune to the affects that it has on people’s lives. It is the leading cause of death in Australia with more than 43,000 people estimated to have lost their lives in 2010.

Early this year the life of an extraordinary, beautiful person and very dear friend was stolen when Anne van Riel lost her five-year battle with cancer at just 26 years of age.

Although her life was short, Anne really chose to “live”. She took on life with enthusiasm, spark, energy, and spontaneity. She seemed to have a close bond and friendship with everyone she met, and with her friendships, also came her quick wit, sarcasm, and sense of humour, along with her incredible loving and caring nature. Anne had the ability, intelligence and courage to challenge most things in life, and would encourage you to change something about your life, rather than complain about it. Her positivity amazed all around her, as she held hope for a cancer-free future.

She was strong willed and determined, and she knew what she wanted. When she was asked how she managed to have the strength and courage to keep fighting for so long, she remarked “I have the most important thing in the world to be fighting for. Life.”

Anne spoke often about the importance of research, and with cycling such a big part of her Dutch culture, what better way to honour her than with a 200 kilometre plus cycling journey throughout the scenic countryside of Western Australia over 2 days in aid of much needed research funding.

The Sunsuper Ride to Conquer Cancer will support groundbreaking, critical cancer research being undertaken at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR), WA’s premier adult medical research institute, investigating the genetic and environmental causes of a range of diseases. With donations above $2 being tax deductable, your donation is paid directly to WAIMR making funds immediately available for cancer research.

To make this experience a success, please support me by making a donation, big or small, at www.conquercancer.org.au/perth/julian.broomfield 

Thank You in advance to all those supporting my Ride to Conquer Cancer.