Monday, June 18, 2012

One...Two.....Three.....and there they go!!!

When I woke up Sunday morning, it was just another day. Except my alarm was beeping, it was 5am and I quickly realized this was not an ordinary day. Today was the day we were going to send off Jordan, Kyle and Tyler on their cycle across Canada! This was the day we had all been anticipating for the last 3 months. The big "send off" from University Stadium at Laurier, where the guys would suit up in their new gear, strap all the belongings they would need for the next 7 weeks to their bikes and ride off.....into the pouring rain. What...rain...who said anything about it raining! As I drove to the stadium in the thunderstorms I prayed this was not a bad omen.

With Heartwood Place, Dave FM, Holeshot Productions, Royal Distributing and Marin Bikes all set up and ready to take some pictures of the guys, bikes and gear, we waited.....and waited. The moment arrived when all three of them came into the stadium, nervous smiles on their faces, friends and family surrounding them and this was their moment. Besides the obvious last minute rearrangements of gear, modifications to "booties" (Tyler I am using your words here), and minor adjustments, the trio was ready to go. A generous announcement by Dave FM and The Waterloo Classic Road Race sent lots of spectators our way to talk to the guys before they left. Typical questions included "are you nervous", "are you crazy" and "you're sleeping on what"? Great thanks to all who came out and supported us.

After posing for what felt like a million pictures and "feeling like celebrities (Tyler)" the guys gave one more goodbye to their families, hopped onto their bikes and hit the track for one lap around while the crowd shouted encouragement. This was the first time they were biking with the full weight of all the gear they were taking. A little wibble and wobble (just kidding) and as they came around the last corner I felt a little teary. Here they were, three young men off on an adventure of a lifetime all while raising money for a great cause.

Jordan, Kyle and Tyler are now off, free to cycle this country with literally "all they have on their bikes". They have trained for this for months, they have prepared their minds and bodies and they will succeed!

Follow the trio for live updates on twitter here

Our goal of raising $69,000 is still a ways off and we need your help! Donate here to help build more affordable housing!





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