OTTAWA, Ont. — Canada’s first all-woman truck convoy, to be held next weekend, will feature a special guest speaker courtesy of the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC).

Anna Capobianco-Skipworth, a survivor of two mastectomies over 13 months, will be speaking about breast health at the event.

“We’ve arranged to have Anna speak because she is not only a breast cancer survivor, she’s triumphed over the disease,” says OBAC’s executive director Joanne Ritchie. “Anna tells her story with passion and conviction, but more importantly, with a great deal of humour. We might find it difficult to laugh at such a serious illness, but Anna shows us how humor saw her through the darker moments of her treatment. This is the kind of life-affirming attitude we need to eventually beat breast cancer.”

“I just love life, and try to live it to the fullest,” Capobianco-Skipworth adds. “My husband and daughter have taught me that laughter is indeed the best medicine, probably because it’s easier to laugh than to cry when I look in the mirror.”

She plans to ride in the convoy and then speak at the gathering afterwards. There will also be a barbecue, children’s entertainment and dozens of prizes as part of the event.

“There’s been tremendous interest in this first-ever Convoy for a Cure,” Ritchie says. “OBAC is proud to be playing a role in the event, and while breast cancer is a more-than-worthy cause, I hope the convoy will also help promote awareness of the need for regular physical check-ups and a healthier lifestyle for all professional drivers.”

The convoy departs from the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop in Cornwall, Ont. at noon on Saturday, Oct. 18. It ends at the 730 Truck Stop in Cardinal, Ont. Participating drivers will receive free breakfast and a truck wash beginning at 8 a.m. Enrollment is available through OBAC’s Web site (www.obac.ca) or at www.truckstopquebec.com.