After losing his wife to the brutal disease, a Sicamous man is riding to Krush Kancer.

Steve Seelinger, whose wife died of breast cancer Nov. 24, 2024, will be riding his motorbike across country to Nova Scotia on his Koast to Koast Krush Kancer Ride in support of the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). He'd been planning the ride since Christmas as the couple had planned to make the trip prior to her getting sick.

鈥淲e were both avid motorcyclists. She rode her own bike a lot of years... we planned to do this trip then she got ill and couldn鈥檛 do it," Seelinger said. "I promised her I鈥檇 take her, so I am.鈥�

The idea of dedicating the ride to cancer came later, just a couple of months ago on a contemplative rainy day when he thought, 鈥渉ow many people have been not touched by cancer in their life and the answer is no one, everybody has been.鈥�

鈥淪o I figured, well, why not try to  do some good, give back a little bit. I鈥檓 going anyway so... 鈥�

On May 13, Seelinger created a fundraising page with the society at  and is already at $500 of his $10,000 goal, with 100 per cent of the profits raised going directly to the CCS. He assured donors and supporters that he is funding the trip itself completely out of pocket and doesn't "touch a penny" of the money raised. 

While he's appealing to everyone for support, Seelinger is focusing particularly on the biking world because that was his and his wife's passion, and the knows that demographic is "a pretty big world."

"So I鈥檓 targeting people like that just to spread the word," he said. "And hopefully if I can make a little bit of money for the Canadian Cancer Society, maybe I鈥檒l have a little bit of impact and help save a child鈥檚 life or something like that.鈥�

Seelinger was first affected by cancer at 18 when his 14-year-old sister was diagnosed, coincidentally in Port Coquitlam, the same town that Terry Fox lived, and a few years ahead of his own battle with cancer. She too had her leg amputated and was then taken to Harvard University in Boston for further treatment.  

While she was there, Seelinger said it 鈥渞eally, really impacted me as a young man speaking to world renowned doctors and learning about what cancer is... and why they can鈥檛 cure it.鈥�

He had further friends and family also affected by the disease, but none that had quite the same impact as losing his wife, best friend and partner of 35 years. 

鈥淪he was my saviour in life... and then I lose her. It鈥檚 terrible,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how to explain it, it鈥檚 a very difficult thing. So I鈥檓 doing this for her, I鈥檓 doing it for me for self-healing and I鈥檓 doing it, as I said, hopefully to raise a little bit of money and make a difference if I can.鈥�

Seelinger will be hitting the road on June 14, but has no set itinerary or timeline, just his final destination of a specific beach in Nova Scotia, where he was born, that he had taken his wife about 15 years ago. 

鈥淲e had the old sunset picnic with lobster and wine on the beach type thing,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 my destination. That鈥檚 where I鈥檓 going.鈥�

To help raise awareness on his journey, Seelinger has had graphics put on his bike, a banner sign to put on his pack, and will have flyers, decals and business cards to distribute along the way to help battle "an awful disease."

鈥淚 believe in life that if you have negativity you have to turn that negativity into positivity, if you can do it, if you have the ability to do that because there鈥檚 no point in putting your head in the sand," he said. "And there again, this ride that I鈥檓 doing, the facts revolve around a very negative thing and the passing of a very special person, but now hopefully it鈥檚 going to turn into a positive thing.鈥�