By Alesha Capone
Point Cook’s Tausif Sawdagar will participate in a cycling event this week in honour of his mother-in-law Shaista Anjum, who has been battling cancer for years.
Tausif will ride 100 kilometres in the Ballarat Cycle Classic on Sunday, to raise funds for the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute.
All registration fees from the classic will be donated to the institute – a cancer research centre based in Ballarat.
Tausif originally set a fundraising goal of $700, but he has since reached more than $4100 in donations, which he described as “just incredible”.
Last year, Tausif married his wife Nazia, who is one of Shaista’s three daughters.
Tausif said Shaista was diagnosed with a stage-four Neuroendocrine tumour in 2017, which was found to have seeded into multiple sites including her liver and skin.
Since then, she has undergone abdominal surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and biological therapies.
Shaista is now undergoing novel monoclonal antibody treatment as previous measures were unsuccessful in placing her cancer into remission.
Tausif said that in 2018, doctors told Shaista she possibly had another one to two years to live.
“But she has been doing a lot better than doctors thought, I think it’s partially because she’s got a very positive mindset and tried to keep doing the things she enjoys,” he said.
With her husband living and working overseas, Tausif said that Shaista had single-handedly raised Nazia and his two sisters-in-law.
“She took on three jobs at once, gave up her studies and her free-time and despite it being difficult, never asked for anything back,” he said.
“She would give everything for others and never considered her own needs.”
Tausif said he has always been passionate about fitness, but did not begin taking cycling “seriously” until the pandemic lockdown last year.
He was browsing online, looking for an event to enter, when he saw the Ballarat Cycle Classic and decided to sign up.
Since then, he has been training five times a week in the lead-up to the classic.
“When it comes to cancer, there is so much research to be done, and every little bit of money or donations people can contribute counts,” he said.
“Every bit of research that goes towards new treatment goes towards helping people and families going through this ordeal.”
Donate to Tausif’s fundraising efforts at ballaratcycleclassic.gofundraise.com.au/page/TausifSawdagar or see www.ballaratcycleclassic.com.au for details.
