Years before she developed the cancer that ultimately claimed her life late last month, Ariadne Holness de Hiller had a close friend fighting that same disease — and decided to do something visible to show her she wasn’t alone.
So she shaved her head bald.
It was her way of saying: we’re in this together, and together we will be stronger.
That spirit led Hiller to join the Prince George cycling team Wheelin’ Warriors of the North to participate in the Tour de Cure — an annual August ride in the Lower Mainland that has raised more than $100 million for cancer research.
In 2022, the year after she was diagnosed with uterine cancer, Hiller took up cycling — despite never having ridden a road bike before — and completed the Tour de Cure with her team. Her cancer was in remission at the time following surgery. But it returned in 2023, while she was fundraising for the 200-kilometre ride. She was unable to travel to Vancouver, yet still completed the distance on her own, riding the streets of Prince George.
“She was an amazing champion for the cause — the work that we do as Warriors of the North — she was all in, an amazing teammate,” said team member Karin Piche. “That saying, ‘To know them is to love them’ — she definitely fit that. Everyone respected her, loved her, and enjoyed having her on the team.
“She was a doer. Ariadne was a reminder to everyone on the team why we do what we do. Whatever she chose to do, she did it well. It’s very sad to lose her.”
Although the Tour de Cure has since been permanently cancelled by the BC Cancer Foundation and will not be held this year, Hiller remained committed to the cause. She planned to take part in the Workout to Conquer Cancer, a month-long May fundraiser now supported by the Wheelin’ Warriors, with proceeds going to the BC Cancer Centre for the North.
After her first diagnosis, Hiller — a devout Catholic — leaned on her faith and family for strength. She volunteered as a patient partner, speaking to doctors around the province in Zoom sessions organized through the BC Cancer Foundation’s Gynaecologic Cancer Initiative in an effort to help improve treatment options.
By her own admission, she was a “professional volunteer.” She gave generously of her time to support her church and her children’s schools — especially Immaculate Conception School and College Heights Secondary — organizing activities and helping wherever she could.
All three of Ariadne and Bruce Hiller’s children got involved in speed skating at a young age with the Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club. The idea first took root in 1988, when Ariadne, still living in her native Panama, watched short track speed skating as a demonstration sport at the Calgary Olympics. She thought it would be a great sport for her future kids to try.
Her parents were both teachers, but Ariadne chose a different path. With high academic standing, she earned a full-ride scholarship to study geology in Sofia, Bulgaria, eventually becoming one of Panama’s first female geologists. She met Bruce in 1992 while working on a geology project in Panama City. They married in 1993 and moved to his hometown of Prince George the following year.
By 2001, their eldest, seven-year-old Lucas, and five-year-old twins Carolina and Nico, were lacing up their first skates at the local arena. Like many skating parents, Ariadne became deeply involved in the club, helping organize races. Her passion for volunteering soon led her to take on the role of meet co-ordinator.
She trained and worked her way up the ranks of BC Speed Skating, eventually overseeing events such as the BC Winter Games. As a certified Level 3 meet co-ordinator, she was in charge of short track competitions at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George — a meet that ran without a hitch.
Hiller took her role seriously and was dedicated to preparation and safety. She introduced new safety protocols after a skater suffered a life-threatening gash at the 2010 BC Winter Games in Terrace. Thanks to her foresight, an ambulance and first-aid attendants were on-site, and volunteers were ready to respond — helping avoid the worst-case scenario.
Former Blizzard head coach Carol Dennison recalled the energy and care Hiller brought to the rink.
“We were at BC Winter Games down in the Okanagan, and some kid from another zone had a broken blade. She’s running around trying to find this kid a blade — she heard about it and made it happen,” said Dennison.
“She was so inclusive. It wasn’t about her kids being the best. It was about helping someone else do their best — how do I help that person? Always positive, always supportive.”
After the Canada Games, with her twins moving to Calgary to pursue national team goals, Hiller moved back to Panama for five years to work as a field geologist and reconnect with her family.
Carolina, now a two-time world team sprint champion in long track speed skating and ranked 11th in the world, credits her mother for her success.
“Honestly, everything is because of her. She really motivated us to do anything we wanted — sports-wise or extracurricular-wise — but my brothers and I really loved skating, so she dove headfirst into it,” Carolina said.
“She was always volunteering, all the way up to being a national-level meet co-ordinator. She went all in with everything she did. She supported us in every possible way. The only reason I’ve gotten this far is truly because of her. She was my biggest cheerleader. She always believed in my potential.”
No matter where in the world Carolina raced, her mom stayed connected, sending motivational texts before and after competitions. Carolina was in Europe for the final World Cup events of the season this March, preparing for her third-straight world championship, when it became clear her mother’s health was failing.
A surgery in August had revealed an inoperable tumour on her adrenal gland. After completing chemotherapy in January, Hiller travelled to Calgary to watch Carolina race, but her condition continued to worsen.
With her national team carding for next year already secured, Carolina decided to skip the world championships and return to Prince George to spend the final three weeks of March at home with her family.
After a week at their College Heights home, Ariadne, in increasing pain, chose to spend her final days at the Prince George Rotary Hospice House. She died on March 31 at age 63, surrounded by loved ones.
“It was the absolute best place we could have been as a family — a really neutral, peaceful place,” said Carolina. “We got the pain under control pretty quickly after she got there, and I feel like she really came to life a little bit more for another week.”
“My mom’s best friend, Manuela, decorated the whole room. There were pictures everywhere, and we had this really big beach photo on one of the walls. My mom used to say, ‘That’s where I’m going — back to the beach.’”
