Rider Stories/Comments
Click here to post your comment about the 2007 Ride For Karen
Results: 1 - 4 of 52
September 25 2007 - Graeme Blaikie
What started out as a selfish exercise in personal endurance turned into an amazingly moving and empowering lesson in what a great team can do.
My good friend Joe Wood called me about a week and a half before the Ride and said "Hey, wanna try riding 160 km in a day?". We had no training, only curiosity at whether we could do it.
We didn't even have cool cycling gear - we were planning on riding in cutoffs and a white T-shirt with a pack of smokes rolled up in the sleeve. A flurry of shopping the day before had us at least looking the part, even with cool new clip-in shoes! By the way, I was the idiot at the lunch stop who had his right foot unclipped and then fell over on my still-attached left side...while my bike was stationary.
On race day, I learned we would get to ride in the 25 kmh group with Joe's friend, Shayne Johnston, who had lost his lovely 8-year-old daughter Shania to cancer only 6 weeks before. Suddenly any individual thoughts or doubts we had were erased - the strength and courage that Shayne showed us that day served as a continuing inspiration to Joe and I as we worked our way along the route.
That, coupled with the outstanding organization of the event by the Tobias family and their team, made the day an incredible experience for us; one that still gives me a lump in my throat when I think about it.
For those of you thinking of trying it and wondering if you can -- please try. It is a great cause and you will find that there is a wonderful team there to back you up.
Thanks for an incredible experience - and we'll be back next year!
Graeme Blaikie - graeme.blaikie@rogers.com
Markham, ON, Canada
My good friend Joe Wood called me about a week and a half before the Ride and said "Hey, wanna try riding 160 km in a day?". We had no training, only curiosity at whether we could do it.
We didn't even have cool cycling gear - we were planning on riding in cutoffs and a white T-shirt with a pack of smokes rolled up in the sleeve. A flurry of shopping the day before had us at least looking the part, even with cool new clip-in shoes! By the way, I was the idiot at the lunch stop who had his right foot unclipped and then fell over on my still-attached left side...while my bike was stationary.
On race day, I learned we would get to ride in the 25 kmh group with Joe's friend, Shayne Johnston, who had lost his lovely 8-year-old daughter Shania to cancer only 6 weeks before. Suddenly any individual thoughts or doubts we had were erased - the strength and courage that Shayne showed us that day served as a continuing inspiration to Joe and I as we worked our way along the route.
That, coupled with the outstanding organization of the event by the Tobias family and their team, made the day an incredible experience for us; one that still gives me a lump in my throat when I think about it.
For those of you thinking of trying it and wondering if you can -- please try. It is a great cause and you will find that there is a wonderful team there to back you up.
Thanks for an incredible experience - and we'll be back next year!
Graeme Blaikie - graeme.blaikie@rogers.com
Markham, ON, Canada
September 18 2007 - Calvin Wong
This was my first Century/group ride and I was a little bit intimated if I would even finish this event, since I’ve never actually hit full 160 in a single day. Although there was heavy rain and bad chain problems, the notion of riding for a good cause got me through. I would like to thank all the volunteers who helped out in planning this event and filling up our ever dwindling calorie levels in such wet conditions. Already itching for next years ride.
Cal
Strength in numbers
P.S. Who was singing Kelly Clarkson’s Never Again while on the hill climbs after the lunch break? Haha
Calvin Wong - calwong@hotmail.com
Canada
Cal
Strength in numbers
P.S. Who was singing Kelly Clarkson’s Never Again while on the hill climbs after the lunch break? Haha
Calvin Wong - calwong@hotmail.com
Canada
September 14 2007 - Jeff Green
I'll be back in 2008!
First time for me. Very well organized, well marked route, great support, great food. Nice group of riders- everyone was very friendly and enjoyed themselves. Came across a rider who had lost his rear derailleur in an earlier crash. The mechanics converted his bike to a pseudo single speed and he finished the ride. Wow!- very impressive and a great example of the courage found on the Ride for Karen. I'll be back in 2008!
Jeff Green - greencamera@yahoo.ca
Toronto, ON, Canada
First time for me. Very well organized, well marked route, great support, great food. Nice group of riders- everyone was very friendly and enjoyed themselves. Came across a rider who had lost his rear derailleur in an earlier crash. The mechanics converted his bike to a pseudo single speed and he finished the ride. Wow!- very impressive and a great example of the courage found on the Ride for Karen. I'll be back in 2008!
Jeff Green - greencamera@yahoo.ca
Toronto, ON, Canada
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Peter Skalenda - peter14@rogers.com