Man skated for cancer cure

Lionel Waghorn decided last winter he didn’t need any rocking chair. And because of his love for his ill wife, he spent more than a 1,000 miles proving it while also delivering a body blow to cancer.
The 76-year-old Terrace Bay resident laced up his skates last Oct. 21 as part of his community’s “Skate the Lake for Health” fundraising event at the Terrace Bay Arena in support of the Northern Cancer Research Foundation and the McCausland Hospital Families Within Reach project.
When Waghorn’s odyssey ended March 29, he had logged an incredible 1,153 miles—or 12,683 laps of the arena. With just the power of his legs and the strength of his goodwill, he left his mark on the ice and in the cancer-fighting coffers to the tune of an amazing $8,570.85.
“Being on the ice like that took me back to my childhood, skating on the rivers just outside of Sudbury,” recalled Waghorn, who jokingly added, “I don’t know what will come to mind next. Maybe I’ll skate to Alaska.”
The reasons for Waghorn’s extraordinary accomplishments were of an extremely personal nature as his wife, Alice, was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.
“I thought if I was going to do some skating, I might as well do it for a cause,” said Waghorn, whose daughter, Mary, works for the Fort Frances Ambulance Service, which donated $400 to assist his efforts.
“I got a lot of help from my daughter and other people canvassing the Nipigon, Fort Frances, Terrace Bay, and Schreiber areas,” Waghorn noted.
Averaging 400 laps per week, he persisted in his efforts—driven by the thought of trying to ease the suffering of his loving wife.
“Alice was my inspiration,” he said with pride. “They can use every little bit they can get for research. It’s hard to get money with so many good causes out there.
“People are always looking for a handout for something.”
The good news didn’t end when the fundraising total was confirmed. His wife’s condition has improved to the point that the cancer is now fully in remission—and Waghorn couldn’t be happier about it.
“She’s coming along really well,” said Waghorn. “I think cancer can be beaten.
“I don’t know when it will be, but at least now there’s ways that you can keep it under control to the point where you can get a few extra years tacked on to your life,” he remarked.