On June 22, United Kingdom cyclist Ollie Blackmore will be leaving Sidney, B.C. for a 15-day solo cycle around Vancouver Island, in an attempt to raise $25,000 for the BC Cancer Foundation. He will be riding through Sooke on his final stretch to Victoria, and we can expect to see him flashing through our town on the tail end first weekend in July. He used to visit his grandparents in Victoria. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 where I got the taste for the island and fell in love with it,B次元官网网址� wrote Blackmore in an email.
Blackmore will take the long way to Sooke on his way to Victoria. First, he will head up the coast to Nanaimo, then up to Port Hardy. From here, heB次元官网网址檒l venture into the most Northerly part of the island through to Quatsino and to Coal Harbour. The following days will see him ride through gruelling terrain to get to Tahsis, and then onwards to Comox Lake. HeB次元官网网址檒l skirt around the edge of Port Alberni heading down to Bamfield. From there, through our lovely quarters of Port Renfrew and Sooke, finishing at the inner harbour in Victoria.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 2,300 km through bear and cougar country. Alone.
B次元官网网址淚 will be totally unsupported,B次元官网网址� wrote Blackmore. B次元官网网址淚 created this challenge myself. IB次元官网网址檒l be riding it alone and camping each night. I will pass through communities etc and will no doubt need to restock for some parts but IB次元官网网址檒l be 80 per cent self-sufficient with tools, clothes and food camping wild much of the time.B次元官网网址�
He will be armed with a cell phone and GPS tracker with an SOS button, though he hopes he wonB次元官网网址檛 have to use that.
Regarding a concern for encountering wildlife, Blackmore countered fears with education.
B次元官网网址淚 have to say I have had quite a few nightmares about encountering bears and cougars and in some ways I would love to if it was a safe one! However, I have done a lot of research into what to do, campsite management and so on so IB次元官网网址檓 pretty well prepared. It adds that extra element to the challenge knowing I could be cycling close to bears or being watched by a cougar. My bike has two eyes cut into the back to warn them off, along with some First Nations inspired illustrations of bears and cougars as a mark of respect.B次元官网网址�
For this event he has collected quite an array of equipment to help him both when riding and camping in the wild. This includes things like one of the worldB次元官网网址檚 smallest and lightest tents, the Nemo Gogo Elite, and even a bear bell to (hopefully) scare away the odd bear. However, perhaps the most important piece of equipment is the bike itself. With a bespoke design and built from British manufacturer Donhou bikes, his B次元官网网址済ravel raver bikeB次元官网网址� as itB次元官网网址檚 known is a bike like no other that sports a custom paint job inspired by Canadian culture and history.
Blackmore will be doing this while carrying over 35 kg of extra weight up hills that reach gradients of nearly 40 per cent. In fact, on many occasions throughout the challenge he will be facing climbs of over 16,000 ft., something that the Tour De France only beats on one of its stages.
Currently, Blackmore is fundraising. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 still some way off getting to the $25,000 target in Canada. I have a number of pledges so itB次元官网网址檚 around $4,000 at the moment,B次元官网网址� he wrote. B次元官网网址淢y motivation is knowing the money will go to local BC Cancer Foundation causes on the Island and help those who really need it with care, support, medical assistance, research and so on.B次元官网网址�
For more info about the challenge, visit cyclechallengecanada.com/, or on his Facebook fan page at facebook.com/cyclechallengecanada.
To contact Ollie, please email ollie.blackmore@gmail.com or call +44 (0) 7957 191 757.
