Video: Battling Cancer to Continue Living a Life of Riding Bikes
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Magnus Manson needs no introduction on the Canadian racing scene. Standing next to Finn Iles on the 2016 Junior World Championship podium, for a Canada 1-2 sweep in Val di Sole, Magnus was just beginning to establish himself on the World Cup Circuit as part of the new wave of Canadian DH racers.
Magnus moved from being supported by the local bike shop, to eventually, a spot on Canyon Factory Racing alongside Mark Wallace and Troy Brosnan and a chance to race World Cups with factory support. He took pride in ‘earning’ his way. He honed his skills and each improvement brought him to the next level of support. Strong and determined, Magnus could glimpse the possibilities ahead, but then, at what felt like the moment he was poised on the edge of cracking into the top 10, he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis brings debilitating pain and its treatment, harsh medications. Magnus faced it and took it on. And it was navigable, just a speed bump in his racing journey, right? But no, because next, in 2021, came another diagnosis, unrelated to his RA. Hodgkin Lymphoma, cancer of the lymphatic system.
Since 2021, Magnus has undergone numerous rounds of chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and despite being declared in remission several times, has relapsed. Magnus, 3 years later, still must continue to receive Immuno-therapy every month while searching for a long-term solution. But if you were to follow Magnus on social media, or just see him ride, based on his strength and level to which he rides every day, you most likely would have no idea that he was actively fighting cancer and undergoing treatment. To be an extremely successful DH rider, most people require a certain hyper-focus, even to be somewhat obsessive. By harnessing those traits, Magnus is doing it his way … combining his medical treatments with a holistic approach to everyday living, he chooses health over sickness, positivity over defeat and quality over quantity. As is so often the case, the one most directly affected becomes the one giving those around them the strength to stay positive.
Racing has been difficult for Magnus since 2021, but he remains connected to the riding community by mentoring the next crop of Canadian DH racers. He spends time with a group of local kids: helping to dial in their race craft; teaching them bike set-up; how to build through a race weekend successfully. All skills Magnus is known for. And, just as Magnus once did, these riders are posting some of the fastest times of the day at local races.
Magnus has taken what life has dealt him and moved forward with strength and resilience, never ceasing to lift up those around him.
