Anybody who has been following Accu-Chek Cyclebetes on facebook or twitter will know that it is a magical event where everybody truly does win.
I have just returned from my ten day stint with the world’s biggest bike relay and, it was an amazing trip filled with life changing moments and top notch people.
My relay experience began in Halifax and “ended” in Mississauga and I am forever changed by what I’ve experienced. I’ve seen people of all ages and walks of life at their very best. Humanity can be a beautiful thing.
Though I know I will never be able to fully express what it was like (I encourage you to get involved and find out), here are some of my highlights…
Atlantic Canada:
It all began in Halifax. We had two days there to make final preparations for the relay…and to contemplate Hurricane Bill. We kept a close eye on the forecast and considered our options. Since the hurricane was set to hit on Sunday, relay kick-off day, we needed to decide whether we would move up our start to Saturday, or delay it until the storm passed. We would wait and see.
In reflecting on my time with the Atlantic Canada team, my stand outs are…
- The bonding of a group of people brought together by a common goal.
- A team meeting the night before kick-off. New faces checking each other out and not knowing just how close we would all become in just a few days.
- Dinner at Vinnie’s. We had a great meal and I had the opportunity to learn from Chris Jarvis and Carey Tarr, two incredible people living with Type I, who each jumped into our relay with both feet. Chris is a World Champion, Olympic Rower who is passionate about educating young people on how to be fit and manage their diabetes, and Carey is an amazing freelance photojournalist who is passionate about making insulin accessible to people in all countries.
Hello….Bill. Nothing like the pending doom of a hurricane to bring a team together. We would push out early to beat the worst of the storm, but definitely would not fully escape his wrath.- My-pod (aka my I-pod) – my co-pilot affectionately know as “DJ Andy” treated the RV to 4 second bits from about 1,000 songs….good times rocking out with Jimmy Mac and Willdog too!
- The Moncton, NB Community Ride – a fabulous pancake breakfast cooked by Ivan and Val Rose (Meg’s parents) before we set out on a beautiful ride. Had the best time with Barb Sweeney, friend and rider extraordinaire.
- Camping – Yes, that’s right, Camping! This girl is no camper, but it was fun! Could be the start of something new.
- The Team. Such a diverse group from all life stages each with their own incredible story. Amazing people.
Quebec:
On day three, we camped at the New Brunswick / Quebec border and the Atantic Canada Team met the new Quebec team. The following morning, the official passing of the Accu-Chek Nano baton would happen and we would say good-bye to one group and embrace another. Quebec was spectacular!
My stand-outs from this stage are…
- The Norco Tandem Road Bike. Riding a tandem is a unique experience that requires teamwork and creates a bond between riders. You work together to tackle hills (up and down) and to cover as much terrain as possible during your shift. The tandem experience is very symbolic of the teamwork required to successfully manage Type I.
- Riding along the beautiful St. Lawrence. The scenery was amazing and riding with Willie was the usual blast. There’s a huge element of excitement in reaching 64K going downhill on a tandem.
- The Mather Family. Every once in a while, you meet extraordinary people who inspire you to live better…more fully. This family epitomizes living life to its fullest. Nathalie and Sean are parents to 8 year old, Liam and 6 year old Sam. Liam has Type I and manages it so well! He rode for the Quebec relay team at such a high level and, whenever a question was asked of him, he gave an enthusiastic thumbs up!! Sam is the youngest Mather and is a little bundle of dynamic energy and sweet smiles. We were lucky to have them along and I’m so glad know them!
- The Roche Accu-Chek Reception in Montreal. Up until the moment we rode up to the Accu-Chek head office, other than some friendly greetings by passers by, the relay felt sort of intimate…a mission shared by the team of people making it happen. When we saw the cheering crowd waving an celebrating how far we had come, it hit home how many lives we are impacting. It is so much bigger than us. It was an incredibly emotional moment.
Eastern Ontario
On Saturday, August 29, a cold rainy morning, the baton was passed from the Quebec team to the Eastern Ontario team. It was hard to say good-bye to the Mathers, but we had the pleasure of meeting our Eastern Ontario team mates. This team had a goal to reach $50,000 in fund raising and they met it!!! Another fantastic mix of people passionate about Accu-Chek Cyclebetes and reaching a common goal.
My standouts…
- The team embracing the brutal weather and, at times, bumpy roads with no complaints and “can do” attitudes.
- Don, aka Crockett, driving the RV all day and bringing a sense of calm and fun.
- Riding all night with James, Mark, Joanne, Jennifer and Willie, and bonding over torrential downpours and a race against the clock.
- Riding into and through a storm with Willie. At first there was just one little cotton cloud, then there was a looming, pitch black horizon, then there were blankets of water dumping on us from the sky. We pushed through until we couldn’t open our eyes to see, then had to pull over for about 20 minutes until the storm passed.
- The Mississauga Community Event. Giulia Pepe, one of our team mates, had single handedly organized a family fun day consisting of 80K, 30K and 15K rides as well as fun events in the Park.
The Missisauga event brought my time on the road to a close and saying good bye was very difficult.
I’m home now with my loving family and am spending plenty of time snuggling my boys, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I’d love to be out there with my team mates riding across the country, being impacted by the stories of people along the way. 
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