For me, cancer is a family matter. Many members of my family have been faced with this disease. Some, like me, have survived the encounter while others did not share the same good fortune.

A few years ago, my aunt and cousin, who have also been affected by cancer, joined a charity trip in support of the Quebec Cancer Foundation. They walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route over 10 days to raise money in support of cancer patients. Their experience sparked an interest in me.

In 2014, I decided to join the cohort of trekkers of Compostelle en tandem. I walked for my mother, who had just passed away after being diagnosed with a third cancer, and for my sister-in-law who was still facing this hardship. The fact that this trip is also a fundraiser was important to me. I wanted to take concrete action to provide support services to cancer-stricken individuals and their loved ones.

On the road that took me from Puy-en-Velay to Conques in France, I found some inner peace. On the road, time stops: there’s only you, the present moment, and the journey. Walking the French Way is akin to a walking meditation. Sometimes you focus on the road, but your mind is always working. It’s only at night, when you talk and share with the rest of the group, that you realize the ground you covered within yourself.

I’m taking part in this adventure again this year. This time, I will carry in my heart my sister-in-law who lost her battle and my father who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.  Once more, I am asking for donations for a cause dear to me.

I decided to leave ahead of the Compostelle en tandem team to walk last year’s route, the one going from Conques to Eauzes. I will meet the group of trekkers leaving from Nogaro and, together, we will make our way to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. I do not yet know what answers I will find on the road, but I know that I will leave this experience transformed, like I did the last time.
 
To learn more about Compostelle en tandem or to make a donation
 
Maurice Gohier