It’s often been said that behind every great man there’s a great woman.

With Mother’s Day on Sunday, Peter Gross, sportscaster at Sportsnet 590 The Fan, tells us something great about his amazing 89-year-old mother, Marilyn. Read his story below.

——————————————————————————————

My younger brother, John, owns and operates True North Climbing at the Downsview Park and Sports Centre, and said that last week, our mother did something quite extraordinary at the club.

“She climbed straight up the wall, and now she’s the oldest person to make it to the top,” John said.

That was important to her because on May 26, my mother said she is “going to be part of the team that is going to raise money for cancer by rock climbing.”

• Click here to sponsor Marilyn in the “Climb For Cancer” event. (NOTE: Erika Vanderveer is the organizer, and all pledges collected by the climbers get funneled through her Ride to Conquer Cancer. Sponsors should add a note that says which climber they are sponsoring.)

Our mother has a special motivation to fight this disease. “Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and it was successfully treated,” she said.

And our mother has this message for all: “Cancer can be beaten and so can that rock climbing wall.”