May 10
13
Coast to Coast Spotlight on: Jeff Rushton
Jeff Rushton
Age 46
Serial business entrepreneur by day / Founder, Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation by night
Mississauga, Ontario
Married for 22 years to my high school sweetheart Diane; father to two incredible kids; Brooklyn 12 and Skylar 15
Jeff is the energetic, “big idea” guy and founder of Coast to Coast. He’s a passionate volunteer who remains heavily involved in the Foundation’s daily operations, despite the fact that he holds down a full time job. If you’ve been to one of our events before, you’ll probably remember Jeff. He’s the one cracking jokes in front of the microphone, screaming “Feel the love people!”, or making you get on a bike if you aren’t already sitting on one.
Here Jeff tells the story of how the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation began
Destination – Beyond Cancer!
In some ways, I have my wife Diane to thank for “getting me into cycling”. In high school, we both worked the night shift at our summer jobs commuting to work on our bikes. Every night I’d “escort” her home to make sure she arrived safely, and then I would turn around and ride home. She was my high school sweetheart, and ultimately I’d do anything to impress her, and be with her.
I was always somewhat into cycling but it wasn’t until 2002 when I cycled across the country in January with my good friend Kevin Wallace that my passion found a purpose (www.coasttocoastagainstcancer.com). Our ride was to raise awareness and funding for cancer, to honour my father who had successfully battled colon cancer, and Kevin’s mother, who unfortunately had succumbed to breast cancer when he was just a teenager. I went from someone who had never ridden a “century” (100 mi/160 km) in his life to an endurance cyclist doing over 230 km a day for 24 days straight – all because we were inspired by the dedications and people we rode for throughout the event. This is when Coast to Coast Against Cancer was born. The event fundamentally changed me in many ways. I learned about perseverance and inspiration.I learned about friendship and caring, and in many ways I re-learned the power of thinking selflessly about others in need.
Seeing my father go through his cancer treatments, I stumbled on a whole other, lesser-known (and under-funded) world of suffering – childhood cancer. It was bad enough that an adult had to suffer through – and in many instances – succumb to cancer, but for a child it just did not seem right. Anyone who has seen or heard me wearing my fund-raising hat will attest to the fact that it literally brings me to tears. That is my inspiration, and it drives everything I believe in with my volunteer work.
Now that we were hooked on making a meaningful difference to childhood cancer, in 2003 at a “Guys, Guts and Guinness” night with five of my closest riding buddies, we decided to ride across Canada in 10 days to raise money for childhood cancer. www.coasttocoastagainstcancer.com. That same year Kevin and I partnered (and won!) the Race Across America (RAAM) as a two-man team, again to raise money for cancer. Those incredible experiences reinforced the exhilaration of cycling for a cause you truly believe in, and the importance of focusing positive energy and enthusiasm to help others. At the end of those adventures, we found ourselves thinking about a bigger goal, a goal to form a Foundation to bring together Canadians and communities from coast to coast in support of childhood cancer charities.From that thinking Tour For Kids was born in 2004 (www.tourforkids.com), followed by the Inside Ride (www.theinsideride.com) and the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation in 2007 (www.coasttocoastagainstcancer.org).
However, through all of this the “coast to coast” concept remained in my blood. If two guys could do it in 2002, and six guys in 2003, then imagine what a nation united coast to coast against childhood cancer could do! It was out of this belief and this passion that the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride was born (www.searsnationalkidscancerride.com) – an event designed to unite Canadians on a mission to make a meaningful and lasting impact in the fight against childhood cancer. Now in its second year we are more passionate than ever to reach our ultimate destination – a “Destination Beyond Cancer”.
Through the first year of the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, I came to understand that a true hero is an ordinary person who performs an extraordinary act of courage – and does it neither for fame nor glory, but as a selfless expression of love and caring for others in need. To me, the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, and everyone associated with it – our sponsors, our riders, the incredible ambassador families, the unbelievable volunteers, as well as the countless supporters, families and children we meet along the way – all define the true face of heroism.
I’m honoured and humbled to be able to be part of this effort to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children living with and beyond cancer. You have my commitment to continue this journey and ride so that no parent has to hear the words, “Your child has cancer”.
Jeff doing his thing:
