Riley Senft (born March 16, 1979, in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

) is a Canadian

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that su ...

activist, and

ultramarathon An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of . Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of to over . 50k and 100k are bot ...

athlete. On May 7, 2011, Senft set out to run approximately 6,600 km (4,101

miles The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 Engli ...

) across

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

to raise awareness of prostate cancer and the importance of early detection of the disease, and to raise funds for prostate

cancer research Cancer research is research into cancer to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate a ...

. Senft had lost a grandfather to prostate cancer, and watched his father battle the disease twice in five years. He called his awareness program "Step Into Action" Following in the legacy of

Terry Fox Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money ...

, Senft ran approximately 6,600 km across the ten provinces of Canada, from East to West. Beginning in

Cape Spear Cape Spear (french: Cap d'Espoir) is a headland located on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland near St. John's in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. At a longitude of 52°37'W, it is the easternmost point in Canada and North ...

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

and ending in

. The purpose of his run was to save the lives of future prostate cancer victims by educating men and women about the steps in early detection. An experienced athlete, Senft had participated in cycling events in the US to raise money for

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a C ...

while a student at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. On October 6, 2011, after 153 days of running upwards of 70 km per day, 6 days a week, Senft officially completed his Step into Action run across Canada when he arrived into Vancouver and finished at the 2010 Winter Olympic Cauldron in

Jack Poole John Wilson "Jack" Poole, (April 14, 1933 – October 23, 2009) was a Canadian businessman who, as the head of the VANOC bid committee, was responsible for bringing the 2010 Winter Olympics to Canada. He died of pancreatic cancer shortly after ...

Plaza. Upon his arrival, the city of Vancouver lit the Olympic Cauldron aflame in commemoration of his accomplishment. As of October, 2013, Riley and the Step into Action Campaign have raised over

Can$ The Canadian dollar (symbol: $; code: CAD; french: dollar canadien) is the currency of Canada. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, there is no standard disambiguating form, but the abbreviation Can$ is often suggested by notable style ...

838,000 for prostate cancer research, benefiting the Vancouver General Hospital & University of British Columbia Hospital Foundation and the Vancouver Prostate Centre. During his run, Riley was awarded the keys to the city of

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its populatio ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

from

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

Keith Hobbs.

Gregor Robertson proclaimed October 6, 2011 Dr. Riley Senft Step into Action Prostate Cancer Awareness Day. Vancouver Proclamation - Step Into Action 2011

Vancouver Proclamation - Step Into Action 2011

After his run ended Senft continued to spread the message of early detection and has given a

TEDx Talk TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

"TEDxLondonBusinessSchool 2012 - Riley Senft - Running against cancer "
TEDx London Business School. about his experience. On June 5, 2013, Senft received the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

from Canadian Prime Minister

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...

. Senft currently (as of 2013) lives in Vancouver, BC where he works as an

anesthesiologist Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medic ...

. He remains an active spokesman for prostate cancer awareness, and the success of his run has led to further fund-raising events by other athletes.\'Willy Konantz and Taylor Scholz Raise $250,000 For Prostate Cancer"
''Collingwood School Athletics''

References

''West Vancouver Outlook''.
"2011 Mackenzie Award - Service: Dr. Riley Senft '97"
Collingwood School.

Manitoba Runners Association.
"Riley Senft" (recognition in the House of Parliament of Canada)
41st PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 030, 17 October 2011. * Elliott, Wendy
"Cross-Canada bike tour aims to shed light on depression, suicide".
''The Hants Journal''. 4 August 2013.

External links

Step into Action program
{{DEFAULTSORT:Senft, Riley 1979 births Track and field athletes from Vancouver Canadian activists Canadian ultramarathon runners Living people Male ultramarathon runners