Cancer survivor Hendrik Theron never let his disease keep him from cycling and this weekend he again returns for the Bestmed Cycle4Cansa road race at Sun City on Sunday.
Theron was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the most aggressive and life-threatening form of skin cancer, in 2004.
He faced the disease head-on and explained the initial lesion had been excised before he’d had sentinel lymph node biopsies done to determine whether the cancer had spread.
The results came back clean and Theron, after intensive follow-ups for five years, said he now went for mole mapping at his dermatologist.
Cancer survivor Hendrik Theron (left) will be giving back when he rides the 20th Bestmed Cycle4Cansa Championship this weekend. Photo: Supplied
The general practitioner from Brits said he had continued to cycle throughout his treatment, never letting the disease get the better of him.
“I continued to cycle on a regular basis. It’s good for your immune system, which, with a tumour like melanoma, is very important because it’s basically your immune system that has to fight the cancer.
“It was also a way to escape mentally from my day-to-day work stresses.”
Theron said he had been well and truly bitten by the cycling bug after lining up for his first Cape Town Cycle Tour in 2001. In the ensuing years, he has ridden most of the country’s big mass participation races, including a handful of Cycle4Cansa events.
As a cancer survivor, he returns to the event every year to support the organisers’ fundraising efforts in aid of the Cancer Association of South Africa.
“I always enter the race because a part of the income goes to helping people who are sick with cancer and I see it as an opportunity to give back,” said the general practitioner from Brits.
After a quieter winter season, the 55-year-old said he didn’t have any time goals.
“I have not had a good winter exercise programme, so I don’t have any goals for the race. I’ll just be going to enjoy it.”
He will line up alongside his two sons and one of their girlfriends for the 20th edition, which consists of 25 and 50km mountain bike events on Saturday and 70 and 103km road races on Sunday.
