With more than 5,000 kilometres of road and trails under their tires, three longtime Barrie friends are making their way from coast to coast to raise money and awareness for the Canadian Cancer Society.
James Deer, Tyler Olston and Aaron James started their 8,000 kilometre trek on June 1, in St. John’s, N.L., dipping their bike tires in the water of the ocean in Cape Spear before hitting the road.
The idea for the road trip came about after Deer pitched the idea of the trio biking across Canada together back in January, Olston told BarrieToday while the three hunkered down in Vermillion Bay to wait out a torrential downpour on Thursday afternoon.
“We have all kind of had the idea before and we’ve all grown up biking, and loved it since we were kids so we decided to (do it) this summer,” he said.
The three have also all been touched by cancer in the past, Olston said, which is why they ultimately decided to make the trip a fundraiser as well.
“James’s Omi had cancer and got help from the Canadian Cancer Society, I have had two friends pass away and Aaron has also had family and friends pass away … and (we’ve) been heavily affected by it.” said Olston, adding they simply wanted to find a way to give back in some way.
The first five days of the trip, he admitted, were less than ideal, with non-stop rain and temperatures hitting a low of 5 Celsius.
“It was a bit of a slow start, but we got through that and pushed forward,” Olston said. “It was a huge, interesting beginning. We were all kind of morally down about it at the start because … it was very hard to get ourselves motivated to get going when we’re just shivering and our hands were cold every day.
"We kind of expected beautiful weather. We were in Barrie the week before and it was 25 degrees. Then we got to Newfoundland and it was a shock," he added.
Since then, the three have made their way across the east coast of Canada and, as of Aug. 30, were about 40 kilometres away from the Ontario-Manitoba border.
“Each morning, we just kind of figure it out as we go,” Olston said about the route they plan to travel. “We did a fair amount of pre-planning, but there are so many variables that you can’t plan for.”
Crossing into Manitoba from Ontario, he said, will be their biggest accomplishment of the trip so far. They will likely celebrate by taking some videos, which they will share on their social media for those who want to follow their journey.
“Ontario is absolutely massive and we’ve been here for just over a month now," he said matter-of-factly.
Despite their altruistic reason behind the cross-country trek, it’s not always easy to get through each day, Olston admitted, but having one another to lean on when things get challenging helps them all focus on the goal ahead.
“We’ve been through so much together. When one person is down, the others are trying to help them get in a more positive head space. Just having group energy has been fantastic … and we’ve had so much love and support from other people,” Olston said.
Recently, the trio has encountered a series of significant challenges — including serious injuries and major bike issues — that they admit have tested them in ways they never anticipated.
“The mental battle of these setbacks has been overwhelming at times, as each one threatens to derail the journey we've fought so hard to pursue," said Olston. "The fear of seeing all our efforts unravel due to a single issue, whether physical or financial, is a constant shadow over our journey.
"The injuries we’ve sustained are more than just minor setbacks. They're issues that, if not properly managed, could have lasting impacts on our lives … but we’re committed to seeing this journey through, despite the risks.”
Hitting the halfway point of their journey recently was a definite morale booster, said Olston.
“It really motivated all of us. We are going to be going a lot quicker now. It was quite slow at the beginning as it was our first time. We’ve dialed in our set ups now and we’ve grown a lot better and stronger biking,” he said. “Knowing that the halfway point wasn’t the halfway point time wise as well was really motivating.”
To date, Deer, Olston and James have raised just over $10,000 of their $50,000 fundraising goal.
“We are happy with whatever we do. We are pretty proud of what we’ve accomplished so far,” said Olston. “We’re just hoping to be able to help even one person out. That’s motivated us to keep going. Even if it’s $10,000 or whatever we raise, at least someone is getting proper treatment and help with medication, to and from appointments.”
The pals, who aim to travel approximately 100 kilometres each day, are hoping to make it to their final destination, Vancouver Island, on Sept. 25.
