Richmond swimmer overcomes leg injuries to raise money for cancer research

Richmond resident Vivian Wong swam more than 500 laps at local pools in August to raise money for cancer research. Her original goal was to swim 10 kilometres, but she exceeded it by more than three times. Her $300 fundraising target also grew to more than $1,100, which has been donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.

The effort was personal for Wong, whose uncle died of throat cancer four years ago. She recalled him as a happy person who loved cooking, and said it was heartbreaking to see him lose his ability to taste after becoming ill.

Wong had anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on one knee more than a decade ago, and that knee was recently reinjured. Her other knee then developed problems as well, disrupting plans to complete a 10K with friends and forcing her to stop activities including badminton, boxing, skiing, cycling and motorcycling.

She said swimming was the only activity she could do without her knees swelling, prompting her to combine fundraising with recovery. Friends called the month-long campaign “Two Bad Knees and a Fundraiser.” Food poisoning forced Wong to revise her planned progress and increase her schedule to six swims a week. Online updates helped keep her accountable, while encouragement from friends and family, including their own stories of cancer-related loss, sustained her through the fundraiser.