‘It would be so much harder on your own’: Tour de Rock reaches Campbell River
Published 9:20 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2026
A trip north has given one Tour de Rock rider more than sore legs and long days in the saddle.
Derek Chaloner, a Victoria-based RCMP officer, joined the 2026 Tour de Rock team for two reasons: a family history with cancer and a desire to see more of Vancouver Island.
Three years after moving to Victoria from Calgary, where he spent six years with the Calgary Police Service, Chaloner said he knew he would not make it to the North Island without a reason to push himself.
“I really wanted to see the Island,” he said. “I knew that I wouldn’t go up north if I wasn’t pushed to do it.”
That push has taken Chaloner and the rest of the 22-person team through communities across the North Island before arriving in Campbell River on Tuesday (Sept. 22), following a 96-kilometre ride from Sayward.
What has stood out most has not been the distance, but the people along the way.
“My biggest takeaway is just how tight knit the communities were and how much they supported us and each other,” Chaloner said.
He said it was “more than amazing” to see communities rally around families dealing with cancer, something he said he did not see in the same way while living in Calgary.
Chaloner has his own family connection to the cause. Both of his grandparents on both sides of his family died from cancer, although he said there have been no children affected by cancer in his family.
Meeting families who have been directly helped by Tour de Rock fundraising has also changed the way he sees the campaign.
“Before this, it was kind of this elusive number that we were just trying to reach,” he said. “But now you actually see that it is affecting people.”
Those encounters have made the fundraising goal feel more tangible, with families approaching riders on the roadside to share their experiences.
The cycling itself has presented its own challenges.
Chaloner sold his car in Calgary during the COVID-19 pandemic and began cycling year-round, continuing to commute by bicycle as much as possible since moving to Victoria.
Still, he said riding as part of a 22-person team has been an adjustment.
“When you’re going on the downhill, you want to rip down,” he said. “When you’re climbing, you kind of want to go at your own speed, so it’s hard to keep the pace of everyone on the team.”
At the same time, he said, riding together provides its own motivation.
“It would be so much harder on your own.”
Tour de Rock continues Wednesday (Sept. 23) with stops throughout Courtenay and Comox as the team continues its 14-day, 1,200-kilometre journey across Vancouver Island in support of pediatric cancer research and support programs.
To donate to the cause, visit their website.
READ MORE: North Island communities make a long day on the bike worthwhile
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