Unicyclist from Canmore riding across Canada for mental health

Unicycling across Canada for a cause Kevin Green catches up with a Canmore man who is riding his unicycle across the country to raise awareness for mental health issues.

A Canmore man is pedaling his custom made unicycle from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic coast in an effort to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Taylor Stark, who began unicycling as a child, is crossing Canada on a unicycle with wheel measuring 36 inches in diameter.

“This is going to be the biggest unicycle you can get on the market,” explained Stark. “This one I’ve particularly outfitted this as a touring unicycle. I attached this custom frame that a friend and I built.”

The journey began May 7 in Port Moody, British Columbia. Stark says he’s pedaled more than 350,000 times during his travels through British Columbia, into Alberta and through Calgary and he expects he’ll cross the million pedal mark in the middle of Ontario.

While the cross-Canada trip has been attempted numerous times by bicyclists, Stark believes he’s the first to face the challenge on a single wheel. The unicycle does not allow its rider any opportunity to take a break from pedaling.

“I’m just struggling on the downhills,” said Stark after departing Calgary on Monday. “On a bike you can coast but on this I’m struggling just as much on the downhill as the uphill because you have to fight gravity by backpedaling to maintain your speed and keep it within a reasonable spin rate.”

According to Stark, his average speed on the journey is approximately 20 kilometres per hour and his top speed is in the 30 kilometres per hour range.

Once Stark reaches Toronto, he will briefly halt his cross-Canada trip to write his entrance exams for his master’s degree. The unicyclist has been listening to audio textbooks during his travels in preparation for his exams.

For updates on Stark’s progress and to donate to the Canadian Mental Health Association, visit One Tired Canadian.

With files from CTV’s Kevin Green