3 minute read
Across The Miles for Cancer
Across The Miles for Cancer
Tammy Hewitt - News Advertiser
A group of bikers stopped overnight in Vegreville on June 29th to “share hope, knowledge, and charity in the fight against cancer”. The group named Texas 4000 rides their bikes from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska over 4,000 miles equivalent to 6437 kilometers.
Upon arrival, there was a stop at the Vegreville Fire Department (VFD) for supper and to store their bikes. They were served supper by local firefighters then proceeded on to stay overnight at the Vegreville Alliance Church. Often they stay over at local churches along their route with exception of one unusual stay at a water park. The next morning, the team proceeded with their daily ride rituals which included standing in a sacred circle, with pinkies linked, speaking to who they were riding for that day. Basking in the sunshine, they also sang O Canada whilst holding up the Canadian Flag in honor of our upcoming holiday. It was reflected by a team member, “There was a lot of hype about Vegreville and you did not disappoint!”
Claire Levan, their youngest rider, explains “It's a student organization from University of Texas. We're all students that have recently graduated. We are biking from Austin, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska, raising money for cancer research and support services. A lot of us are on the team because we have connections to cancer. We have also met people along the way and carry those stories with us. My family has a complicated history with cancer, but I ride mainly for my mom. She beat breast cancer twice so her story is really inspiring. I tell everyone this, but when the days get hard on the ride, I think of her going through treatment and, it makes the knee pain or the wind seem really insignificant. She really is my source of strength. Hearing the stories, it's so inspiring. It really pushes you. When you're on the bike and you're having a hard day, you think of those people.”
“We got our bikes last October and, then training really ramped up in January. So we've been biking pretty serious for six months. I like to say it's definitely a physical challenge, but mentally too. One day, I was having really hard time. My friend rode up next to me and was like, why do you ride? Grandma, my grandpa, and then talking about that reminds you why you ride and why you're going to keep riding.” They ride about three to five days (80-100 miles) before a break. Each rider had scheduled breaks where they take turns driving or riding in the support vehicles in addition to planned group breaks along the route for everyone to rest together.
The team was escorted to the highway by the VFD where they continued the journey on HWY 16 headed toward Edmonton for a rest day. A few team members expressed planning on taking in some Canada Day Festivities. There was a total of 60 riders this year that were broken into three groups called Sierra, Rockies, and the Ozarks. The latter team was the one who stopped in Vegreville. The three groups ride separate routes until the day 60 when they will finish the last 10 days together. They had started their ride May 17th and will end on July 25th.
