Jon Montgomery launches moustache into outer space for Movember

Jon Montgomerytook one small step for man and one giant leap for men's healthby sending his moustache into space.

The Canadian Olympian and television host teamed up with Movember Canada to launchhis whiskers to the edge of the stratosphere as part of theannual month-long campaign.

"If you're going toraise funds and awareness you might as well have fun with it," he said.

Movember Canada teamed up withSend My Stuff To Space, a company that launches personal items into space using sustainable flights, to help with the mission. Montgomery's moustache was then sealed in an acrylic case and launched into space in early October.

The two-hour flight saw the moustache reach a height of 116,000 feet.Today, it's back in Montgomery's possession,still in the acrylic casing.

The mission was a "no brainer," he said, since hisdad was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016 andwas successfully treated for it.

"Getting back to that movement is very personal and something that I undertake with a smile on my face, a hair on my top lip and love in my heart," he said.

Montogmeryhas set a goal ofraisingat least $3,000 for the campaign.

Prostate cancer is one of the diseases Movember Canada has raised awareness about.Todd Minerson, country director for Movember Canada, said one in ninemen will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

"So there's a real urgency to what we're doing and there's a real importance to raise this issue as something that we take seriously and that we focus our energy on," he said.

According to Minerson, Movember has raised more than $1.5billionsince its start 18 years ago.

The idea of sending Montgomery's moustacheinto space to raise money was inspired by other initiatives that attempted to set or break world records.

Men aren'tgetting regular checkups, doctorsays

The Movember campaign is a chance to remind male patients to get screened regularly, saidDr. Peter Lin.

"Men, they really don't go in and very few go in for a health checkup," he said.

The famiy doctorsaid he's noticedmale patients tend to avoid getting checked regularly due to the fear of finding cancers or other diseases.

And while he understands the nerves and anxiety of a serious health diagnosis, he saiddelaying itmay only make treating acancer more difficult.

"The key thing is that if we find it early, we can block the growth of it," he said. "We now have different types of medications. There's also surgery, radiation. So there's lots of things to be done. But the key thing is to get people to be detected earlier," he said.

Lin saidhe's pleased that Movember has built momentum for people to get checked for all types of cancers.

For his part, Montgomery saidhe'll continue championingthe campaign.

"When we look after men's health, our communities will be bigger, stronger and better for it," he said.