While 16 months of brain cancer treatment have left Jenna Tyson physically weak, the young Calgarian is turning her rehabilitation effort into a fundraiser to assist others undergoing a similar battle.
26-year-old Jenna has decided that her strength and conditioning training is more likely to succeed if she adds the motivation of raising money for people who have recently been diagnosed with brain cancer.
“I started to feel ‘I'm going to fail at rehab, because I'm not this disciplined type of person’,” explains Jenna.
The cancer survivor plans to walk a total distance of 182 kilometres during what she refers to as her ‘Tour de Calgary’. Her long distance trek will be tackled in small sections and the amount she walks each day will increase as her rehabilitation progresses.
“I started at 15 minutes, now I can walk up to 25 minutes,” said Jenna. “I’m hoping by the end of Tour de Calgary I will be able to pump out an hour or more.”
The 182 kilometres of Jenna’s Tour de Calgary coincides with the distance calculated on an internet map of places in and around Calgary which have a special place in the cancer survivor’s heart.
Jenna is accepting pledges to motivate her on her tour and all donations will be used to create cancer clinic gift packages for new patients.
Jenna is forthcoming about the fact her journey is not a registered charity and is not affiliated with any cancer organizations. Jenna’s specific plan to create cancer care packages for patients would not be possible if she collected for a registered organization, such as the Cancer Society, which places all donations in one large fund.
The Tour de Calgary began on February 22, 2014, and, as of March 3, 2014, Jenna is approaching the 15 kilometre mark on her journey. Jenna has collected $1,123 and is on her way towards her goal of $5,200 in donations.
For more information on Jenna’s progress, or to donate to her cause, visit Tour de Calgary.
With files from CTV's Karen Owen
