“My dad looked out the window and noticed him running by, so I grabbed the camera and ran after him with my older brother,” says Higo. “Terry’s face was puffy and red and you could tell that he was in pain and that he was suffering. I’ll never forget that look on his face.”

Higo says the courage and determination of Terry Fox and his admiration for cancer survivor Lance Armstrong has inspired him to ride around the Great Lakes for cancer research.

“Terry Fox did this unreasonable distance to raise money for cancer research which is incredible,” says Higo. “The cycling aspect comes from Lance Armstrong and his incredible feats.”

Higo’s 23-day ride on May 7 will cover about 2,400 hundred miles.

He admits the journey will be incredibly challenging. “To make it appropriate it had to be a daunting challenge,” he says. “It’s something I’m willing to face to honour these two men.”

Higo is currently taking training to help him handle all aspects of the ride and says he’s determined to overcome any challenges he may face to accomplish his goal.

In 1980, Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope and made it halfway across Canada before cancer overcame him and he had to stop. He died from the illness in 1981 but his memory and spirit lives on, especially with Higo. “As an adult, I look back and think what tremendous courage and determination he must have had at age 22 to do something like that,” says Higo.

In 2004, cancer survivor Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France for a record sixth consecutive time. It’s considered one of the most grueling of athletic competitions, covering more than 2,000 miles in 23 days.

I’ve been a fan of cycling for the past few years, following Lance Armstrong,” says Higo. “After reading about his story, his defiance of cancer and unwillingness to quit is an inspiration.”

The Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised millions of dollars for cancer research. Armstrong will try and win a seventh consecutive Tour de France in July.

There’s another group of people that Const. Higo is honouring as he begins his ride around the Great Lakes – his fellow officers.

“There are members of this Service battling cancer,” says Higo, adding “there are members who have fought and won the battle and those who have died, and there are those who have lost loved ones, so this is also for them.”

A member of the Michipicoten First Nation, Higo is looking forward to riding through Batchawana Bay where his father still lives. He will mark the same route that brought him face to face with Terry Fox so many years ago.

He says the pain he saw in Terry Fox’s face 25 years ago, along with the pain suffered by Lance Armstrong and so many others, will keep him going when things get tough. “This ride is about the underdog,” says Higo. “There is strength in everyone to overcome the odds.”

Donations for the Great Lakes Bicycle Tour can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society by calling 416-431-1800 and mentioning the Great Lakes Bicycle Tour.