Base MP ready to roll for Tour de Rock 

To support Cpl Larkin’s fundraising efforts, visit her Cops4Cancer webpage: bit.ly/3CwW3LZ

Peter Mallett
Staff Writer

Although the journey will be arduous and emotional, Corporal (Cpl) Mary Larkin says she needed little convincing to take part in this year’s Tour de Rock.

“As soon as I heard how it changes lives and supports children with cancer and their families, I knew this was for me,” she says. “The treatments for pediatric cancer can be extremely hard on the children and have lasting effects, and I wanted to do something to help.”

A member of CFB Esquimalt’s Military Police Unit, Cpl Larkin is one of 19 law enforcement and first responders from across Vancouver Island recently named to this year’s Tour de Rock cycling team. Tour de Rock is a fundraiser for the national non-profit Cops for Cancer and is in its 26^th year.

The team now trains for their 14-day cycling journey from Port Alice to Victoria, Sept. 23 to Oct. 6.

“The trainers are amazing and getting us prepared for the physical aspects of the ride,” she says.

The team began training thrice weekly, focusing on speed, distance and hills, one day for each. The cyclists are planning longer-distance rides later this summer, including a ride up Mount Washington.

Cpl Larkin is a triathlete and recreational sports enthusiast who enjoys paddleboarding, hiking and practicing yoga in her spare time. Until her Tour de Rock training began, she admits the furthest distance she ever cycled was 40 km. The team will cover over 1,200 km in two weeks, amounting to an average distance of 85 km per day.

When Tour de Rock begins, Cpl Larkin will think about not only the children with cancer but also her father, Ken Larkin.

“I will shed a few tears when the ride begins but I have also realized that cancer impacts nearly every family out there, so we are all in this fight together,” she says.

Her 73-year-old father was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2017. Ken has since undergone surgery but is not cancer-free: while his form of cancer is manageable, it is also incurable, and he will battle it for the rest of his life.

The money raised by Tour de Rock riders is for life-saving pediatric cancer research and support programs such as Camp Goodtimes, a summer camp for children diagnosed with cancer.

Cops for Cancer is a partnership between first responders and the Canadian Cancer Society that began in 1997. Since then, Tour de Rock riders and support staff have raised $52 million.

The May 12 kick-off event at St. Margaret’s School in Saanich introduced Cpl Larkin and this year’s Tour de Rock Team to a packed auditorium of students and staff. There were speeches, the introduction of honorary members and the riders received their training jerseys.

The occasion also marked the moment Cpl Larkin and the rest of her team began their fundraising campaigns, with each rider setting a goal of $20,000.

“My fundraising is going well, and my family, coworkers and the military community all have been very supportive about the ride,” she said. “I couldn’t do any of this without them, and that is a huge inspiration to me.”

To support Cpl Larkin’s fundraising efforts, visit her Cops4Cancer webpage: bit.ly/3CwW3LZ

To support Cpl Larkin’s fundraising efforts, visit her Cops4Cancer webpage: bit.ly/3CwW3LZ