As a member of the FTEC 2020 fight team Mike is not only committing 10’s of hours to training every week but is also working very hard to raise funds and awareness in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. With 4 months still to go, Mike has already raised nearly $12,000.
Describe your Fight to End Cancer in a few sentences.
Over the past couple of years, I have had a few family members diagnosed with cancer. This hasn’t been something that I talk about or share regularly but it is constantly on my mind and as a result my fight to end cancer is very personal in nature. I choose to donate my time to training and fundraising for the event and ultimately fighting at the gala in honour of my family members who are currently fighting this terrible disease. Although the training is challenging it absolutely pales in comparison to the fight they face every day. I have dedicated this entire process to the members of my family who are battling cancer and to the ones who take care of them every day. Their reality pushes me to be very focused in my training and determined to surpass my $20,000 fundraising goal. I am incredibly proud to do my part in the fight to end cancer in support of my loved ones and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, one of the top 5 cancer treatment centres in the world.
What problem does it aim to solve?
The goal of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is to Conquer Cancer in Our Lifetime. Although there has been incredible strides made towards this goal we are not quite there yet; the fight continues. The Fight To End Cancer is one of the ways the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre raises research funds in support of this fight with every penny raised going straight to support the doctors and researchers in their efforts.
When did you start/join it?
The process started for me in July, 2019 when I completed the online application to become a member of the FTEC 2020 Fight Team. After reaching out to the FTEC Executive Director, Jen Huggins, I arranged a few private lessons with the FTEC Fight Team Head Coach, Virgil Barrow. Although I couldn’t raise my arms after the sessions I was completely hooked. Meeting some of the FTEC2019 fighters and hearing their stories had me fully committed to the event and the cause. In particular, hearing Deren Hasip speak about his journey and seeing his passion and commitment was incredibly moving and compelling; if I wasn’t already sure I wanted to be part of this incredible event Deren’s words would have ensured that I was. I continued to attend conditioning classes during the tryout process and was very excited when I was notified that I had made the team.
What made you want to get involved?
Beyond the family and friends impacted by cancer and the motivating words of the former fighters when I spoke to my wife Brea about the required commitment, the cause and my interest she was instantly and incredibly supportive of the decision. Given that we have two young kids, Hayden is 3 and Bodhi is 6 months, this was no small thing. Even before I knew I had been selected to join the FTEC2020 Fight Team we began planning. Her support and the support of our extended family has only solidified my desire to be part of this incredible event.
Have you been involved with them in any way in the past? How did you hear about them?
Although I live in Etobicoke and have seen promotional materials for The Fight To End Cancer and Kingsway Boxing, this is my first involvement with FTEC. Additionally, I know a couple of fighters that have participated in previous years and others that have trained at Kingsway Boxing for some time. Everyone I spoke with about the training and the event has nothing but incredible things to say about The Fight To End Cancer, Kingsway Boxing and all of the coaches, fighters and the FTEC Family. All of these combined certainly sparked my interest and led me to complete the online application.
How can our readers help?
The natural answer for how readers can support FTEC is of course donate to help the Fight Team reach their fundraising goals. It is also important that we increase awareness about the cause, The Fight To End Cancer and of course the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the incredible work being done there. The Fighters are training hard and sharing their typically very personal stories about the challenges of training and why they have chosen to fight. Any words of encouragement are appreciated. It is a huge commitment and the entire fight team is training hard and extremely passionate about raising as much money as possible to help knock out this disease.
Do you have any events coming up?
The Fight To End Cancer has a number of events coming up to help raise funds and awareness. On April 6th is the Fight To End Cancer Gallery at Steam Whistle Brewing, April 11 is the KO Cancer Bootcamp with pro fighter and FTEC Ambassador Amanda Galle and April 14 is the Survivor Bootcamp with cancer survivor and FTEC Ambassador Mariela Burkett. In addition, myself and other Fight Team members will be planning fund raising events over the next several months. Keep checking The Fight To End Cancer website for details.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram – mikeforshee2
Facebook – Mike Forshee
LinkedIN – Michael Forshee
