‘I just know she’s here’: Widower cycling 30,000 kilometres for late wife

A 69-year-old man is cycling 30,000 kilometres across 21 countries, turning his grief into purpose. CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco reports.

Widower Mark Herbst is riding 30,000 kilometres on his bike, honouring his late wife.

Matt Gervais, a member of the YQG Cycling Club, rode with Orillia’s Mark Herbst on Tuesday morning.

“I can’t wait to hear more of his stories. We didn’t get enough time with him,” Gervais said before bidding his new friend farewell.

The 69-year-old widower is turning his grief into purpose, riding around the world while chasing a world record in the process.

Herbst arrived in Leamington on Monday night from Ohio, entering the sixth of 21 countries he’ll visit.

Since January, Herbst has been on a journey around the world that started and will end in Thailand.

“189 days ago today, I left Bangkok, Thailand, went down through Malaysia, Singapore, across Australia, up to New Zealand, over to Vancouver, down the west coast, to the U.S., up Route 66 to Leamington,” Herbst told CTV News.

He’s on the Canada leg of a tour enroute to setting a Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ride around the world. The minimum distance is 29,000 kilometres with the same bicycle. The route is tracked.

Herbst does shoot a daily video and has to take pictures to validate where he has been. There have been some unique stops along the way, including Route 66.

“You can go through all these little towns and one of them that I went through was Winslow, Arizona,” he said.

“Anybody who was an Eagles fan, there was the song ‘Take It Easy’ and there’s a line says, ‘standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona. It’s such a fine, fine place to be. And then, flatbed Ford, girl slowing down to take a look at me.’ You can go there and stand at the statue with Glenn Frey and a flatbed Ford. It was really cool.”

Mark admitted the journey can get lonely at times, providing a lot of time to reflect on the real reason he is on the road.

“I’m also raising funds for Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. They’re one of the top five cancer research hospitals in the world. And the reason I’m doing that is my wife died of cancer three years ago,” said Herbst, who described his wife as an Ironman athlete full of life that lost her battle to cancer.

In some of the moments of solitude while on his journey, Herbst said he has had spiritual enlightenment.

“There are moments I’ll ride along, and I’ll just have this thought of Jackie, just start crying but there’s so much happiness in there as well,” he said.

“It’s just like there are days when I just know she’s here.”

Herbst has had people join him during the ride and he plans to share all of his experiences in a book.

When asked if he had one message to anyone reading this he said”

“Challenge yourself. Doesn’t have to be a ride around the world. It’s just like anything. Ride around the block and learn a language. Just use these gifts that we’ve been given before they’re gone,” Herbst said.

He hopes to raise $100,000 for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in Toronto.

You can follow Herbst’s journey here.