Interview: Reece Wallace on How He's Fighting to #fcancerup

Last year Pinkbike readers raised over $80,000 USD in the quest to FCANCERUP, and this year we want to break that record. To help encourage more people to donate this year, and to give a more personal touch to the campaign, we wanted to share some other stories from mountain bikers about how cancer has affected them. We reached out to Reece Wallace, whose Huck Cancer fundraiser we shared in April, to find out how cancer has affected his daily life.

How has cancer affected you, your family and friends?

Currently, my mom is fighting choroidal uveal malignant melanoma, a rare form of cancer which affects about one in one in a million and has a mortality rate of 80% within five years. Over the past six years, she’s undergone countless surgeries, radiation therapy, and been given almost every pharmaceutical drug imaginable. She has lost all her sight in her right eye and continues to struggle with balancing her life and treatments. Unfortunately, the radiation has taken its toll on her eye and she's having it removed in the coming weeks. Because of this, she’s had to step down from her job and put all her efforts into recovery. For me, it’s meant last minute 12-hour drives to where my mom lives for emergency surgeries. My dad also won his fight with oesophageal cancer when I was a kid, so we’re pretty over it!

Why is fundraising for cancer research or cancer support important?

Fundraising is important to me because cancer will affect all of us at one point. I started my Huck Cancer campaign earlier this year to not only raise funds for cancer research and patient care, but to get the word out there that it’s still a terrible disease—we can’t forget this. Whether it's yourself, or a loved one, cancer affects nearly everyone. Simply having the ability to fundraise is why I choose to. Plus, maybe someone fighting will be inspired by your efforts and it could give them the extra push they need.

You have said positivity is important. How do you keep a positive mindset and why is that important?

Positive thinking has been my go-to throughout the entire process. Though my mom is way tougher than I’ll ever be, supporting her with positive thoughts and taking it day by day has been important. Focusing solely on what is in front of us, and not dwelling on ‘what ifs’. The fact she, like other cancer survivors, can keep a positive attitude is inspiring for their support groups to do the same.

Positivity also helps put things in perspective. Although super cliché, it actually inspires me to live each day fuller—on and off the bike. Cherish the good times, loved ones, send it, and don’t waste time or energy on bullsh*t or people who don’t make you happy.



Thank you for sharing your story with us Reece and we wish you and your loved ones all the best.

#fcancerup

Posted In:
Interviews Reece Wallace