When Midhurst man Lionel Strang was diagnosed with Stage Four Melanoma Cancer in August 2014, he was told he would be dead within a year.
And now, five years later, he’s still alive and making everyday count.
“They said there was nothing I could do,” he said of the doctor’s original prognosis.
“I cried a lot.”
Since 2016, the 65-year-old has made it an annual tradition to walk from Toronto to his home in Midhurst-exactly 100km from the Princess Margaret Hospital, where he received his treatments, to his doorstep. He calls the walk “One More Year.”
Strang began his journey this year on Saturday Aug. 24, heading north on Yonge Street. The total endeavour takes him about four days to complete. Everyday he walks for about eight hours before calling his wife to come pick him up and take him home. Then the following day, he gets up and she drives him back to where he left off.
He said he is grateful for all the hard work of the doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital.
“I got in there and they looked after me,” he explained.
Over the years he has developed a following of supporters who have donated to his walk which raises money for the psychosocial oncology clinic at the hospital.
“It’s all a part of the psychological aspect of dealing with cancer,” he explained of the clinic.
The clinic offers therapy programs like art, music and counselling to help deal with the emotional stress caused by a cancer diagnosis.
On Monday, BradfordToday caught up with Strang as he made his way into Bradford at the Wendy’s on Bridge Street.
“What they say is they haven’t seen any evidence of it (cancer) for the past year and a half,” he explained on his current condition.
This year he is on track to raise about $18,000 for his walk. Up until this year he has raised around $36,000 in total. Since the day he was diagnosed, he has posted everyday on his Facebook page, updating the world on his status and how he is feeling. The past few days he has been posting videos of him during his walk and all the people and places he comes across.
While Strang walks the route on his own, he isn’t opposed to people joining him next year. He says one of his doctors in Toronto usually joins him on day one, walking the first 7km with him.
“I have my phone, I have my credit cards, a couple bucks, some earphones, sunscreen,” he said on what keeps him going throughout the day.
“This is the hardest stretch, from Newmarket to here,” he said of his route. The stretch from Green Lane to Bradford is busy with traffic and there are no sidewalks along Yonge Street.
Strang remains positive and humble and says he doesn’t consider himself an inspiration, but rather just lucky.
“There’s a lot more people worse off than me,” he said.
When he completes the walk later this week, he will celebrate with a small BBQ in Barrie with close friends and family.
To make a donation to Strang’s walk, click here.
