Mark Weinberg
Age: 62
Occupation: Retired Teacher, Head-of School, Director of Education, Residential Summer Camp and Ski School Director; presently employed by movie production companies as an on-set educator.
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
Family: Married to Sara, father and father-in-law to Jeffrey & Elissa, Robbie & Robyn, and grandfather to five grandchildren.
My biggest physical accomplishment(s) to date: Committing to and training for this Ride
"If it is to be, it is up to me"
These are the ten most powerful two-letter words! “If it is to be” that cancer is eradicated, “it is up to me” - to do all that I can.
My mother was the youngest of 11 children and as a child, I was accustomed to seeing and being surrounded by loving relatives very often. By the time I was ten years old, a new and sinister word -CANCER - entered my world and took over the stability and order of my family life. Many of my aunts and uncles died… of cancer. The ‘word’ was always spoken in whispered tones, accompanied by tears, sadness and pain. The ‘word’ struck chords of terror and fright in my young mind. The word cancer was synonymous with imminent and unpreventable death.
Those who know me well know of my life-long passion for athletic endeavors and personal challenges. As an avid cyclist, I was intrigued by an ad in the Montreal Gazette last June. The headline that caught my attention was “19 days, 7600 KM,” with a sketch of a cyclist adjacent to these words. Some quick math resulted in my wanting to know how anyone could cycle at this pace! A phone call of inquiry resulted in the answer. However, of much greater importance, that phone call led me to join the 2008 National Riders when they arrived in Montreal. While cycling with the peloton, I was inspired by the exuberance and fundraising accomplishments of the riders with whom I spoke. A flame in me was lit that morning that grows stronger and brighter each day.
I feel most fortunate to have been chosen as a 2009 National Rider and to be in a position to utilize my passion for cycling for a cause of such magnitude. The scientists who have devoted their lives to eradicate cancer need our assistance in providing the research dollars to reach their goal as quickly as possible. It is the inspirational words of the 2008 National Riders, the grateful words of Moms and Dads of children who are stricken with cancer and the hopeful smiles of these same children who drive me towards my goal of raising $25,000 for the Pediatric Oncology units of Canada’s hospitals.
It’s “pay back time” for all the blessings life has bestowed upon me and my family and, as Sir Winston Churchill stated,
“We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.” - Sir Winston Churchill
