Just days after finishing second in an ultra-marathon in Calgary in 2018 a Cochrane man's world was turned upside down. 

Sanjay Sachdev was 36 years-old and at the top of his game, in peak physical condition when he started feeling pain in his groin that was not normal. 

Then just a few weeks later he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and would undergo surgery and over four months of chemotherapy. 

"They did remove the mass, put it under a microscope and they said wow this a really aggressive form of cancer. We talked to our specialist on a Thursday and we were scheduled for the first chemo session on Monday due to how fast it was spreading."

Sachdev says the diagnosis and the start of treatment happened so fast that he didn't have time to dwell on any negativity.

His treatments took about eight hours each day at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre so he decided that rather then sitting around all day he would bring his bike into the treatment room. 

He says it was fantastic knowing that he could still feel like himself during his treatments.

"I basically came off this high of my first race at this level and finishing nationals in a good spot and then all of a sudden I was like, what's going to be left of me after this?"

Sachdev, who is married with two young children says he made it his goal to stay active during his treatment and during the four and a half months he got up and was active every day except one.

He says he has his kids to thank for that on some of the rough days because they gave him the push he needed to get out the door. 

"They didn't know I was sick. So my little guy he would want to go to the park and he'd say "Dad let's go to the park" which we normally do and I'd tell him I don't feel well but he didn't care and wanted to go anyway so if anything that helped me a ton."

He says his wife took on the role of about five different people during his illness and he can't express how grateful he is to her. 

Sachdev is now in remission and has been cancer free for a full year. 

He remains active with running and cycling, running an ultra marathon in Romania last fall with some of the most elite athletes in the world.