Roth turned a bad week into his motivation to ride for cancer research

By Rob Paul

People react differently when they're dealt a bad hand in life. The ones who persevere through tough times usually come out the other end better for it.

That was the case for Peel resident Jason Roth.

14 years ago, Roth had some of the worst news of his life all come at him at once. Rather than cower, he stepped up and seized an opportunity to put on a metaphorical cape and become a hero – though he'd never call himself that.

It all started when he was battling his own health issues and decided he had to change his lifestyle. Then, a day later, when his father got a cancer diagnosis, Roth found his calling and dedicated his life to it. 

“It was a very eventful week in February 2008,” he said. “At that time, I was quite overweight, and my physical activity consisted of getting off the couch to go to the beer fridge, that was about all I did. My doctor told me I had borderline high blood pressure, borderline cholesterol issues, and that I was borderline obese and needed to lose weight. The next day I found out that my dad had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and the day after that I was sitting on the couch watching a hockey game and trying to wrap my head around everything that was going on and figure out what I was going to do with my doctors' advice. 

“Then I saw a commercial for the Ride to Conquer Cancer supporting the Princess Margaret [Hospital]. That was the first year they launched the Ride to Conquer Cancer and it was a ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls via Hamilton over the course of a weekend—a ride Saturday and Sunday each about 100 kilometres. I had been an active cyclist as a kid, but hadn't ridden in 20 years and I thought riding a bike that distance, which actually requires me to get out and do it and not just get on the bike and go. I knew I would need to train and put in the effort while at the same time it gave me the opportunity to maybe raise some money for cancer research, given my dad's diagnosis. That's where it all started and 14 years later, I haven't stopped.”

One ride could have been enough for some, but not Roth. Rather than pat himself on the back for the good he had done, he found more motivation through the experience and the stories he had heard.

“The first year with the Ride to Conquer Cancer there were about 2,800 riders and we rode in groups to Hamilton,” he said. “We stayed in tents and had a big dinner and there were a lot of speeches, it was really quite emotional. Then the next morning we got up and rode to Niagara Falls and our families were there, and people were cheering for us and it was a really emotionally impactful event. It was really quite significant to me, I would call it life-changing, but that sounds trite. 

“The whole goal for the Princess Margaret and the Ride to Conquer Cancer is literally to conquer cancer. Their slogan is, ‘Conquer cancer in our lifetime.' We aren't there yet, and we still have a lot of money to raise and a lot of work to do. My dad is better now, he's 14 years cancer free, but that's not the case for a lot of people. Every year I just think back to that first year and how emotionally impactful it was, and I say, ‘If they're not done yet, then I'm not done yet,' so I keep going.”

Although he's not in it for the personal accomplishment, Roth does take time to reflect every so often on what he has done over the last decade-plus. He knows if he can do it, anybody can, this isn't something that came easily to him, but it has become his passion. 

“Every once in a while, I think about the fact that over 14 years I've ridden almost 3,000 kilometres on rides to conquer cancer—which is kind of crazy,” he said. “I've convinced friends, colleagues, and family to contribute over $120,000 to the Princess Margaret and I'm really proud of that, I think that's a cool thing. 

“I'm just a dude riding a bike, I don't have a real estate development company with suppliers that I can lean on to contribute $10,000 a pop or anything like that, I'm literally sending out 250 emails every spring and following up on them throughout the summer to get people to donate. I've been able to raise almost $10,000 a couple of times and I'm close again this year and really hoping I can get there.”

This wasn't an impulsive decision for Roth, he didn't wake up one day and ride all the way to Niagara Falls and back. What began as a conscious decision to better himself for a cause has turned into years of training and preparation to get him to this point. 

“14 years ago, when I made the decision to get back into shape, my first ride was 15 kilometres and I threw up when I got home. Every year since then I've ridden more and more, and I ride a lot. For me, 10,000 kilometres in a year isn't unusual—this year I'll probably do 13,000. Pretty much every Saturday I'm on the bike for six or seven hours riding 120 to 150 kilometres. It's lots of long rides with lots of time in the bike saddle. And it's lots of time mentally preparing yourself for the fact that your legs are going to be really tired and you just can't stop.”

With the impact of COVID-19, the Ride to Conquer Cancer isn't the same format as in the past. Riders have full discretion on where and how far they'll ride.

Last year, Roth made a point to visit family, who had been impacted by cancer, and this year his focus is on setting a new personal record. He plans to ride 330 kms this year which he thinks will consist of 16 or 17 hours of riding.

“In the previous incarnations of the rides before the pandemic, it was always a big group event with 5,000 cyclists on the start line in Toronto and we all rode at our own pace to Hamilton and from there to Niagara Falls,” he said. “With the pandemic, they haven't been able to do that. It's a virtual ride and you pick your own route, distance, and fundraising target. You get to go at your own pace, and you get to pick something that's meaningful for you. One of the things they say is, ‘It's not where you ride, it's why,' which I think is very cool. Last year, I did 200 kilometres and rode a route that went from my house in Brampton to Kitchener-Waterloo, where my family lives, and back again. I visited three different family members who had been affected by cancer along the way and I thought that was a cool way to make it significant for me. I expected the 200 kilometres would wipe me out and that I would have no energy, but that wasn't the case. I got home after 200 kilometres and I actually felt pretty good which told me that I better try something bigger this time. So again, this year with it being virtual I really miss arriving at the finish line in Niagara Falls with the crowd cheering and my family meeting me. This year I decided I would see if I could ride all the way to Niagara Falls and back again.”

With nearly a decade and a half of riding to conquer cancer under his belt, some might wonder if Roth ever sees a finish line in sight. He says he'll only stop when the true goal has been achieved. 

“I see an end, when they announce that they cured cancer—that's it,” he said. “When I get really tired and I think I'm done and that I can't go anymore and everything hurts and I want to quit, I think back to the people I've ridden with over the years that have a yellow flag on their bike to represent they're a cancer survivor and I say to myself, ‘They didn't get to quit, they had to keep fighting so I better keep riding.'”

This year the Ride to Conquer Cancer will be August 28 and 29 and is open to anybody and has no registration fee due to the virtual format. Those interested in registering can go to ride2conquer.ca and set their own distance for their ride.

“With this year having no registration fee, I'm hoping more people give it a try,” said Roth. “Maybe, just maybe, three or four people who haven't done it before will find the love for cycling and the spirit to keep doing this and really help out.”

To donate to Roth and help him reach his goal of raising $10,000 this year for the Ride to Conquer Cancer, visit supportthepmcf.ca/ui/Ride21/p/JasonRoth.