Elsa Beats Cancer to Cycle On

Elsa Karsten was diagnosed with breast cancer in May last year, and stunned the sporting world when she lined up for the Pick ‘n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge only six months later.

On that occasion it was nothing short of a miracle that she was actually back on the bike, but as the previous year’s champion she desperately wanted to pay tribute to the event – even though she had no realistic chance of winning.

Another year down the line a much stronger and cancer free (for the moment) Elsa will be on the start line on 19 November, and judging by her performances of late, she is definitely in a position to challenge for the title in her favourite event.

But while chasing the title is the most important goal for the other professional women in the South African peloton, Elsa is just happy to be back in the sport and its people where she feels so at home. "Every day is a blessing to me and every day in cycling makes me feel like I’m back where I belong," she says.

Elsa still goes for two-monthly check-ups to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back, and regular visits for implants are also routine, and while the dreaded disease hasn’t shown its head again for a while now, it’s still a frightening experience every time she has to go for the cancer tests.

"I have to go back on Wednesday again, and I can already feel the fear setting in. You can’t stop wondering, ‘What if it’s back?’, and I can’t describe how much that scares me."

Elsa’s mom has also walked a long path with cancer, and she still suffers from the disease, which no doubts adds to Elsa’s fears every time she goes back for the tests. "My mom had also just turned 40 when she had her first vasectomy, so when it happened to me you can’t help but feel like it’s the first paragraph of a similar script."

But while she asked all sorts of questions about life when she was diagnosed last year, she now has a very different, and extremely positive outlook on life.

"With the way it’s changed my life – and I’m appreciating every day that I’m given – I realise that it’s actually brought about a positive change, and that I might have been selected in some strange way to go through this.

"My creator has been very good to me, and I reckon it took cancer to make me appreciate that every day is a blessing."

Karsten’s voice suddenly lights up when the conversation turns back to the Cycle Challenge. "Wow, I can’t wait for the race. It’s such a special event to me and I seem to lift my game every year for the race. It has an allure, which I suppose has a lot to do with the sheer size of the event, but also because it’s a much tougher race than the Argus."

She relishes every moment on the bike and the competitive bug is still very much a part of Elsa. "I was so irate when I got ridden off on Hekpoort over the weekend (in the Telkom Satellite Challenge). I finished seventh and phoned my dad to get rid of my frustration about it. He put it into perspective very quickly by reminding me that at this time last year I couldn’t even ride a bike!"

Riding for the CBIST team in the Pick ‘n Pay Amashovashova two weeks ago, Elsa proved that her form is starting to settle in again when she broke away, and it took the powerful Proline team more than 20 minutes to reel her in.

"It’s wonderful to be a part of the CBIST team. The sponsor’s brief to me at the start of the year was just to have fun after throwing me a lifeline to still remain competitive in the sport I love.

"CBIST hasn’t put any pressure on me and it’s great to be able to race like that. I hope to get better and better, so that I can play a part in helping the young girls on our team become good racers.

"I’d like to instil a racing mentality into the team’s mindset. The young girls must have the guts to break away and stay away, and attack when it matters, and not be afraid to attack time and again. That’s the way that you race."

Karsten was still a part of the Proline squad when she won the Cycle Challenge two years ago. Alex Cooper, who manages the Proline outfit, remarked after the Amashova that he has never seen Elsa ride as aggressively as she is at present.

"I think it’s because I’ve been given so much freedom within the CBIST squad," says Elsa. The CBIST outfit boasts some real talent – especially with the likes of Samantha Oosthuizen and Ilse Boyle in the team – and Karsten has enjoyed working with them.

"I’d like to become even more competitive next year, not so much to get myself on the podium, but more so that I can help them to start winning races and pay back the sponsor for helping me out."

lsa doesn’t have the luxury of only riding her bike. She is the bookkeeper at a big Pretoria based funeral home, but she wants to direct even more energy into the sport.

"I’ve also spoken to CBIST about getting a fund up and running to help cyclists in need. The sport and its people have been so great to me and I really want to give something back."

It’s very evident that the support of the cycling industry, financial and otherwise, has kept Elsa going over the past eighteen months. "It’s been unbelievable. The sms’s and phone calls haven’t stopped, but it’s something more than that. I’d be feeling ill, but when I arrived at a bike race and saw a friendly face smile at me, it already made me feel better."

* More than 28 000 cyclists will line up in the tenth anniversary edition of the Pick ‘n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge Sunday, 19 November, and the event will for the first time be broadcast live on SuperSport from 5:15.