A Kelowna man has just finished up a 654-kilometre bicycle trip from Kelowna to Sundre, AB, to raise awareness for two causes he cares deeply about.
Ross said the trip has two main purposes: opening the conversation around mental health and changing the minds of citizens and politicians against the Trans-Mountain pipeline.
In May, Curtis Ross began a GoFundMe campaign to fund the trip, making $14,190, well over his $10,000 goal.
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Ross was planning a lengthy bike trip down to Penticton and would have his wife pick him up later in the day. Then he kept pushing the distance. First, it was Osoyoos; then Washington state.
“The distance kept growing, and ninety minutes later I had a much more ambitious plan,” wrote Ross on his GoFundMe page. “Without further thought or research into the distance or how long it would take, I decided I was going to challenge myself to ride a bike from Kelowna to my Alberta home in Sundre.”
Ross said the anxiety of his trip started getting to him around the end of January, but with Jan. 31 being Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk Day, he found some needed inspiration.
“The significance of this day helped me once again push forward. I needed to beat my anxieties of riding back to Alberta, and recommit to this trip.”
All proceeds generated by Ross’ ride will be going to two foundations—50 per cent to the Canadian Mental Health Association in Kelowna and 50 per cent will go to the Olds Mental Health Clinic.
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