This is Karen’s Story

Karen Broke Records With Her Ride

In 2007, Karen Maidment, a successful CFO and mother of two, looked into her office mirror and noticed her face was swollen. She thought it might be an allergic reaction but quickly found herself in the ER.
 
Karen had an aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma—and like many others, was diagnosed without warning. She spent close to a year at The Princess Margaret undergoing chemotherapy and radiation while everything else came to a screeching halt.
 
It was the fight of her life and fortunately, it was successful. While working to regain strength, a friend challenged her to participate in The Ride.
 
“I haven’t ridden a bike in 40 years!” Karen replied.
 
Before the 2019 event, Karen made Ride history with a fundraising goal of $500,000. Her fundraising pitch was simple: “Your money is not going to a Toronto cancer hospital. It’s going to a global cancer leader that is making world-class advances in cancer care.”
 
Her team raised an astonishing $590,000.
 
She remembers having a discussion with Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz about where the funds could make the greatest impact. In just 11 days during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Smart Cancer Care team designed and launched a new system that enabled virtual visits, keeping patients connected to loved ones far and wide while reducing over 500 in-person visits per day. It was all possible due to the generosity of our donors and participants, like Karen, who helped fund this important initiative.