Terry Edwards says he was never much of a cyclist until surgery to remove a tumour from his brain left him unable to speak.
That was six years ago, and following a lengthy recovery period, the 56-year-old Port Coquitlam cancer survivor plans to finish his first ever 80 km ride at the May 15 Wheel to Heal fundraiser for Eagle Ridge Hospital.
For him, it'll be an uphill battle tougher than for most.
That's because while Edwards has taught himself how to speak again, the surgery has left him permanently unable to swallow food or anything more than the smallest amounts of liquids.
And so, on the day of the ride, Edwards will be wearing a CamelBak hydration pack similar to those worn by many other riders. The difference is that instead of water, Edwards' pack will contain special liquid food and an automatic pump, and instead of the hose from his pack going into his mouth, it will go under his jersey, between his ribs and directly into his stomach, right where it has been all day, every day of his recovery.
And he's not sensitive about it. He even uses it from time to time to tease some of the riders with whom he has been training. He happily lifts up the shirt, shows them where the hose enters his bare chest and asks why they still take nutrition the hard way.
Joking aside, Edwards said he jumped at the chance to help Eagle Ridge Hospital when he heard about the Wheel to Heal charity ride to raise money for equipment.
"At Eagle Ridge, they were instrumental in watching over me for several years," Edwards said, referring to his time in a highly specialized swallowing assessment study there. "So when this thing came up... it was a two-way street: There's a little bit of training and challenge for me but the funds go to helping the hospital, so it's a great motivation."
And Edwards has been working hard to convince others to get involved in the Wheel to Heal any way they can, whether that means riding the 10, 40 or 80 km courses, or sponsoring someone like him.
"If you think you can't do it," he said, "think again."
