Balmy Beach childhood cancer survivor nears $100,000 fundraising goal following triathlon
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In four years childhood cancer survivor Jesse Walker has raised nearly $100,000 for cancer research by running a full marathon, two half-marathons and now an Olympic triathlon.
What’s next?
“I’m going to try and find a cure. That’s the goal I’m trying to beat when I become a doctor,” he said moments after crossing the finish line outside his family’s Balmy Beach home Saturday morning.
Walker, now 18 and four years cancer-free, completed his fourth fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society in just over three and a half hours. In 2020 he ran a half marathon, then in 2021 he upped the distance to a full marathon, in 2022 he went back to the half marathon distance but took a route specifically to conquer the hills he’d struggled with the prior year. This year, Walker faced his fear of open-water swimming.
The Olympic triathlon features three disciplines in varying distances. On Saturday, Walker set out to swim 1.5-kilometres, cycle 40 kilometres and finally run 10 kilometres.
He woke up to a steady rain and rough rolling waves in the bay outside his home.
“I never swam with waves. I was thinking it wouldn’t be that hard, but I got out there and it was horrible, I was choking on water,” Walker said. “I kind of got more calm with it and eventually got to the end.”
Charley horses and sore feet are ailments Walker has come to expect during these endurance events, lingering effects of the 40 doses of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.
Halfway through the swim, he got one in his leg.
“On the way back I was swimming with the waves coming right into my face and it was a lot harder,” he said.
Walker said he wants to do the swim portion again, because although the waves were the biggest challenge he also thought they helped push him back to shore when the charley horse set and prevented him from swimming effectively.
After the challenging swim, Walker set an impressive pace on the 40-kilometre bike ride through Georgian Bluffs before switching over to his bread-and-butter, the run.
“I started getting charley horses again on the run,” Walker said. “I try to move my feet in certain ways but it doesn’t always get rid of it. I usually just try to power through them.”
His grandparents drove the pace car while friends and family waited outside the home for his arrival. Walker trotted down Balmy Beach Road and through the yellow finish-line ribbon with a smile on his face to a crescendo of cheers.
“All the support helps. It’s awesome to see the whole community come together,” he said.
In April 2018, Walker was diagnosed with medulla blastoma – a form of brain cancer – and underwent a successful 12-hour craniotomy to have the tumour removed. His battle continued afterwards with 30 doses of spinal and cranial radiation and then 40 doses of chemotherapy. During his recovery he spent dozens of nights in hospital beds underwent 16 blood transfusions and was unable to eat very little for five months, requiring a feeding tube to get the necessary nutrition.
He’s in what’s called “aftercare” now, an annual MRI and check-in with the doctor.
He knows he’s not the only one who has gone through the awful challenges cancer can create for individuals, families and friends, and he pushes himself through these challenges to help show children with cancer “that the disease cannot hold them back from accomplishing their dreams”.
He also runs for family members who have been diagnosed with cancer and died because of the disease. His uncle John Spence died from pancreatic cancer, his friend Brad Bishop died of sarcoma and last year another uncle, Al Walker, recently diagnosed with stage-four esophageal cancer, passed away due to the side effects of treatment.
Walker previously wondered if the 2023 triathlon might be his last fundraiser as this September he’s headed to Wilfrid Laurier University to study health sciences with a goal of someday becoming a pediatric oncologist or a pediatrician.
His goal may be changing from raising money to helping fight back against the disease as a doctor, but Walker said he’s the one who pushes him into these endurance challenges and doubts the triathlon will truly be his last fundraiser.
“I just feel horrible asking people for money every year. I might take a break for a bit, but I’m definitely going to be doing something for cancer again,” he said.
As of Saturday morning Walker has raised nearly 14,000 of his $23,500 goal to reach the $100,000 mark in his four-year fundraising journey.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, the money raised will be used to help Canada’s brightest researchers make groundbreaking discoveries, provide pediatric cancer patients with much-needed support services, and ensure that other life-changing work is possible.
To donate online to the 2023 Jesse Walker’s Childhood Cancer Run visit www.fundraisemyway.cancer.ca and search for Jesse Walker to locate his fundraising page.
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