07/18/2026
Benoît St-Amant is an outgoing, energetic, and incredibly positive 57-year-old father of two who is passionate about long-distant cycling and backcountry skiing.
He also happens to be battling cancer for the fourth time since 2008.
In 2008, Benoît took part in our “Cedars Tour de Lance” fundraising event for cancer research. He had recently been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and was delighted to meet his idol, Lance Armstrong. He wasn’t strong enough to complete the race, but he did get some invaluable advice.
“Lance told me: ‘Ben, even if you feel terrible, don’t quit. It’s important to get up, put on your cycling gear, get on your bike, and just ride, even if it’s only for one or two blocks,’” recounts Benoît. “So, that’s exactly what I did, and it’s that advice – to never give up – that still motivates me today.”
Benoît was well enough to take part in the 2010 Tour, and he raised over $25,000 for the cause. “I did it because cancer research literally saved my life. If I had been diagnosed 15 years earlier, I would have died,” he explains.
Benoît’s lymphoma returned later that year, but, happily, he went into remission, and his health remained good for another eight years. Unfortunately, his health started declining again in 2018. This time, he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia – or CLL. Thanks to a targeted therapy, Benoît once again went into remission and got his life back.
Then, this past February, Benoît’s cancer stopped responding to his medication. “But, thanks to research and clinical trials, there has been great progress in the management of CLL,” says his hematologist-oncologist, Dr. Pierre Laneuville.
After being hospitalized for two weeks for intensive treatments, Benoît is now back at home, responding well to chemotherapy, and feeling much better.
Benoît has been an inspiration to us since 2008. We hope that you, too, are inspired by Benoît’s story and that you will consider making a donation to Cedars today.
Together, we can help cancer patients not just survive, but thrive.
Grâce à votre aide, la Fondation du cancer des Cèdres investi dans la recherche et offre du soutien et de l'aide aux patients atteint du cancer.