Toby Stigdon in the last quarter-mile of paddling as he approaches the end of the 73-mile Kayaking for Cancer paddle.
When Columbus resident Toby Stigdon created his “Kayaking for Cancer” trip, he had two goals in mind: traverse 66.7 miles on the East Fork White River and raise $6,600 for cancer patients.
Now, three days of paddling — and about three months of spreading the word around — Stigdon’s trip is over, clocking in at about 74 miles traveled and $25,500 raised.
Stigdon has a terminal diagnosis of poorly differentiated thyroid cancer. He used his kayaking trip as a way to raise funds for other cancer patients and their families, asking that individuals donate to the Schneck Medical Center Foundation to show their support.
He was accompanied by friends and family members during the trip, which reached its end in Sparksville, Ind. Sunday afternoon.
“Yesterday was the hardest day,” said Stigdon. “We had the wind in our face the whole way, so it was rough paddling.”
Stigdon was diagnosed in May 2021 with poorly differentiated thyroid cancer that metastasized to his lungs. He doesn’t know how much time he has left.
Despite this, he is already brainstorming another Kayaking for Cancer campaign for 2023.
“I plan on being here,” said Stigdon.
He’s had discussions about how to include more people in the effort, as a lot of cancer survivors were interested in joining this year’s trip but were deterred by the length. One possibility is to have a shorter and easier trip in August and “another big paddle” in October. Far from slowing down, Stigdon hopes to make it 100 miles next year.
As of Monday, he was feeling tired from the trip but grateful for the support of those who donated to the cause.
“I feel truly blessed for their giving hearts,” he said. “And it means the world to me more than they will ever know.”
