Quest for Life is an organisation that relies on funding from the Armidale Tour de Rocks to run emotional healing workshops in Ebor.

Founder and CEO Petrea King said that when people are living with cancer a number of issues crop up that medical assistance can’t provide help with.

“There are lots of issues these people face and that can be anything from how to speak with their children, how to switch their minds off at night, what foods they can eat while their digestion is majorly affected by treatment or the cancer itself,” she said.

Tour de Rocks is an annual ride from Armidale to Coffs Harbour that raises money for cancer foundations and research.

The foundation has run workshops in Ebor for the past two years.

Ms King said the feedback has always been positive, especially for those in rural or regional areas with limited access to resources.

“Cancer puts a huge strain on a family, particularly for people who live in the country where they may be separated from their loved ones and support system when they’re having treatment – so our workshops also cater for the support person,” she said. 

“Sometimes partners can be heartbroken and talking about that experience with other carers can be tremendously helpful.

“Sometimes people have changes to their personality during the course of their illness and they can become quite difficult to love, carers get very exhausted sometimes by having to be there, be resilient, hold down a job and still bring in an income.”

Tour de Rocks contributed $16,231 to the foundation last year for a three-day workshop in Ebor.

“It's often funding that stops us from being able to come to regional areas which is why we're so grateful to Tour de Rocks because they make it possible for us to run these workshops where these services aren’t usually provided,” Ms King said.