After an epic journey across Canada to raise awareness and stamp out the stigma surrounding mental illness, Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes ended her ‘Big Ride’ in true hero style Tuesday – she joined the festivities on Parliament Hill for Canada Day and vowed to keep up the national conversation on mental health.
Here are some of the highlights from Hughes’ 110-day ride across Canada, where the 41-year-old and her team visited communities, from St. John’s to Regina, Victoria to Iqaluit, and everywhere in between.
Kick-off in Toronto
Hughes and her team set off on a blustery winter’s day in March, with help from some 100 cyclists who rolled through the streets of Toronto to wish her well on her journey. Hughes, who spent half a year training for Clara’s Big Ride, said her team was well-prepared to manage frosty temperatures. “We just have to embrace it, we have all the bikes, all the wheels, all the tires, clothing to brace the elements,” she said at the time. It didn’t matter, anyway -- nothing was going to hold Hughes back. “This is about Canada and mental health, and I’m just so excited for this ride to start.”
Weather woes
Just a few days into the trip, Hughes and her team battled treacherous whiteout conditions while cycling on highways near Kitchener, Ont. Hughes said that she felt there were a lot of people who didn’t think her team would do it, and that they’d have to stop because of the weather. “When anyone tells me I can’t do something, it just means I’m going to do it,” she said in a later interview with The Canadian Press.
Northern Canada
In early May, Hughes and husband Peter Guzman -- whom she referred to as “her rock” throughout the ride -- cycled the desolate 750-kilometre Dempster Highway from Inuvik, N.W.T, to Dawson City, Yukon, a journey that took them five days. On a video blog posted on the Clara’s Big Ride website in late May, Hughes talked about getting ready to ride through the Arctic Circle. “The adventure continues, or I think the adventure is just going to get started. We’re riding through Hurricane Alley; hopefully we don’t get blown off our bikes.” On Day 62 of her cross-country tour, Hughes rolled into Whitehorse, where she participated in a community walk and attended a barbecue and concert.
(photo courtesy Instagram)
Hughes visits her old high school
A final stop on the Manitoba leg of the journey was a personal one for Hughes: On June 16, The Olympian shared her story of struggling with depression with students at the high school she attended while growing up in Winnipeg. At this point, Hughes had travelled nearly 9,000 kms on two wheels, and was preparing to head east to Ontario. “The wind we can feel is a westerly wind; we are heading east, so I can say I’m leaving home with the wind at my back and it feels great,” Hughes told reporters during the high school visit.
Crossing the finish line
As thousands cheered her on, Hughes rolled right onto the stage during Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill Tuesday, officially marking the end of her incredible journey. After 11,000 kilometres, 105 communities and hundreds of community events, Hughes said while the “ride of her life” is over, she hopes the conversation over mental health issues and stigma is only just beginning. "I have seen Canada through the eyes of the one-in-five Canadians who are affected by mental illness," she told the crowd. "That has been the fuel that inspired and ignited every single kilometre of the way by bicycle."
