Christian Jug
Age: Eighteen years old
Occupation: Student at the University of Waterloo
Hometown: Markham, Ontario
Family: Single
My biggest physical accomplishment(s) to date: training for the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride
Making this "cancer" that we are all affected by an issue our children and their children will only read about in history textbooks
I cannot say that I have competed in any world class events, run any marathons, or done any Ironman, But as far as I can remember the bicycle has been my preferred mode of transportation. The sheer speed generated by nothing but my legs turning cannot be experienced anywhere else. Trust me, I’ve tried to find alternatives to biking; I crawled, until I could walk, and walked until I could run, and there are not enough ponds to swim in - biking was my best option, and still is. I finished several sprint distance triathlons having an all around talent for swimming, running, and biking, until breaking my foot and fracturing my leg, removing me from the running for about a year and putting me exclusively on the bike to keep my fitness up.
I think it was the fact that I woke myself up at four in the morning to ride through the fog on my usual rides on my usual roads that led me to believe cycling was where I wanted to be. This ride across Canada will be an incredible journey, and already is. I am still crawling, learning to walk slowly, but with this incredible group of people, and the support from everyone around me this will assuredly be the greatest accomplishment of my life, so far.
Four years ago when I was fourteen, my brother was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, a cancer of the Lymph system. This cancer has thrown my family in loops and continues to do so. Cancer is the one thing that you can try and try again to fix; to help; to cure, but will simply not go away. Even when it is removed by chemotherapy or radiation it still lingers - it can come back at any time. My brother, alive and well, is approaching his third year being cancer-free. Now, as I get older, and learn more about what cancer really is, it affects me more and more. In doing this ride, my sole goal is to never have to see anyone go through what my brother has gone through. There has to be a way for cancer to be eliminated, and if I can do anything about it, I am more than happy to take on the challenge. I am excited, and honored to do this, because I know there can be nothing more crushing or more devastating than being told that your child has cancer. I am honored, I will be riding with 36 incredible people who have all been touched by this cause, and are willing to accept the challenges that this ride presents. However I know, and I am sure each of the other riders do as well, what we are doing to prepare for and complete this ride, does not compare to what a child cursed with cancer goes through. Sebastian Jug, I ride, for you.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman
