After nearly 12 months of preparation, eight days on the road, and some of the best home-cooked meals 10 women could hope for, the Prairie Women on Snowmobiles' (PWOS) 2012 journey has come to an end.
This year, the organization raised $184,000 in its quest to raise awareness about breast cancer. Of that, 98 per cent of the funds stay in Saskatchewan, a fact that counted a lot for two local riders from Engelfeld, Natelle Nordick and Rosalie Venderbuhs.
"I felt almost like we won an Olympic medal when we handed the cheque over," said Nordick enthusiastically. "It's like we did it, we did something."
Both women said they were happy to be home with their families, but agreed that the ride had been a life-changing experience.
"I'm a better person, I think," said Venderbuhs. "Pieces were missing because of past experiences, and I came back feeling more whole. "
The two women decided to ride with PWOS because they both have been touched by a friend or family member who is afflicted with cancer or has succumbed to the disease, and they wanted to do something to help.
At every stop along the ride, which began January 27 and ended February 3, among the people who greeted them were cancer survivors. At these meetings, any of the cancer survivors could come forward to receive a pin from one of the core riders to honour the fact that they have survived after being diagnosed with cancer.
"I gave one lady her fifth pin," Nordick said. "It was always an emotional moment when you see these people, and not just women, who have survived."
Venderbuhs said they met some amazing people along the way between the cancer survivors and other members of the PWOS organization.
"There were two young sisters in Canora and, with their little brother, they went door-to-door selling cookies," she recalled. "They made homemade Oreo cookies with pink icing in the middle, and they raised over $2,000.
The logistics of this year's mission was hampered ever so slightly by the lack of snow, which meant that the 10 core riders spent just over four days riding in the van.
"We actually sledded for three and three-quarter days," Nordick said. "So in fact, we were core riders for only half a ride."
"Also, we made that promise to people when we were fundraising," added Venderbuhs. "I didn't promise to ride in a van for 1,800 kilometres, I promised to snowmobile. And funnily enough, I think it was more tiring to sit in the van, than it was to ride."
On the upside, however, Nordick and Venderbuhs felt that riding in the van gave the whole team a chance to really connect in a way that wouldn't have happened if they had been on their snowmobiles.
"The bonding in the van was stronger," Venderbuhs surmised. "The pit crew were amazing, and the other core riders - the friendships that came out of it."
"We really got to know each other very well in the van, but it wasn't as exciting riding in the van," added Nordick. "When we were sledding, the adrenalin and excitement gets you going."
Nevertheless, the 10 women managed 1,000 kilometres in the three-plus days they sledded. And on one of those three days Venderbuhs had a glitch with her snowmobile.
"There was something that didn't sound right," she said. "I thought with the poor snow conditions maybe we were hitting sticks or something. But it just didn't sound right to me."
Venderbuhs says one of the pit crew were right there when she threw her hand up to signal a difficulty, and that he took her sled and gave her his own so she could continue riding that day.
It turns out she hadn't mistaken the sounds she was hearing, and the snowmobile had to be replaced. Luckily for Venderbuhs, her husband was coming to meet the tour at their next stop and he was able to bring a replacement vehicle courtesy of KMK Sales of Humboldt.
"One phone call, and they were right on it," said Venderbuhs. "My husband ran and picked up the sled, brought it up to Nipawin that night, and I was able to drive again the next morning."
Although the two women agree they are happy to be home, there are some things they both miss.
"It's quite a different experience, especially for moms," said Venderbuhs with a smile. "You walk in (to the receptions) and everybody claps, and takes your picture. You always eat first, and they tell us these wonderful things, that we are angels, and they are so thankful for what we're doing."
"It's different now being at home," added Nordick. "Nobody claps for you when you walk into a room. And you're not the first in line at the buffet anymore. You're the last in line again, because you had to cook it yourself."
In spite of those observations, both Nordick and Venderbuhs agreed they would like to ride with PWOS again, in a few years time.
