Canadian DH racer and all-around radical human, Magnus Manson, is now officially cancer free! Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2021, a type of cancer that affects white blood cells, Magnus would battle through 12 rounds of chemo, removing a lot of cancer but not all of it. After an additional nine rounds of chemo, before undergoing a stem cell transplant this year, Magnus received the news we’d all been waiting for…
“After more than a year of battling, my cancer is in remission. It’s hard to find all the words, but I want my journey through all this to motivate people to enjoy the things they care about. Try not to make it complicated, be kind and enjoy it! Too many people to thank so I’m just gonna be grateful for all the support and care I have received so far with all of this. I am only 2 months out from my transplant, so I am still focusing on my recovery, but feeling just a little bit better every single day.” – Magnus, September 2022
Magnus is a role model to so many of us and his journey to recovery will continue to inspire more, inside and outside of the sport he loves. Anyone who’s been fortunate to spend any time with Magnus, you’ll have witnessed his kindness and compassion first-hand. We are over the moon, receiving the news of Magnus’s clean bill of health was amazing and we can’t wait to see him, back where he belongs, on the World Cup circuit.
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Filmed earlier in 2022, before embarking upon the latter stages of his treatment, Magnus joined the Forbidden Synthesis team’s resident filmmaker and old friend, Thomas Doyle, to shoot a DH video on some of his favourite trails, in our backyard. Watching this now, knowing that Magnus is thankfully in remission and was at the time of the shoot, far from out of the woods, is nothing short of amazing. This a testament to who Magnus is and what he loves – we hope you’re as stoked about this edit as we are.
Since this project began, Magnus underwent additional naturopathic cancer treatments (Vitamin C IVs, hyperthermia treatment, alongside all the travel to the various facilities) to maximise his chances of beating Hodgkin’s lymphoma, once and for all. The treatments, however, were not covered by Canada’s health care system and subsequently, the costs sustained by Magnus and his family were not anticipated. To help with these extra expenses, Forbidden Bike Co. is pleased to announce our Perseverance Fundraiser, with all additional raised proceeds to be donated to a charity of Magnus’ choosing.
To help, we connected Magnus with renowned Sea to Sky artist Tom Bunney, an artist we’ve worked with in the past, and continue collaborating with. As a cancer survivor himself, this project was close to home:
“This is a special and meaningful project for Magnus and me. When Owen Pemberton, Forbidden’s head honcho, reached out to me to help Magnus with a fundraiser shirt design, I opened up about my own journey, beating cancer a few years ago and this project bloomed so beautifully. Initially, we were going for the whole “f**k cancer” punk kinda vibe, but after some great conversations, we quickly realised that a more positive approach was the way to go. So Magnus and I worked together on some positive affirmations and healthy vibes that helped us both get through some dark times. There is positivity to be found in every negative situation and we hope these words might help others through whatever they might be going through in life. It feels even more worthwhile, to post this design now, after hearing that Magnus is cancer free, 5 years exactly to the day that I got my own diagnosis (and I’m still here!). I am so proud of you Magnus, we both chose different treatment routes, each with its own challenges, but it’s been incredible being able to help in a small way on your journey. Thanks to everyone for this opportunity, let’s keep those vibes high.” – Tom Bunney
The new shirts are available to pre-order now through Forbiddenbike.com. Orders will be taken until October 28th and purchasers can expect to receive their orders in mid-November. As with all Forbidden soft goods, these will be hand printed locally in the Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island, at Wachaiy Studios and in Bristol, the UK by Hidden Temple. Any additional funds raised will go to a non-profit that aligns with Magnus and his battle with cancer. Any additional funds raised will go to a non-profit that aligns with Magnus and his battle with cancer.
