Rider Stephanie McFarlane with a recap of Day 13:
When you are out in the elements all day, every day for two weeks, you pay close attention to the weather forecast. A lot of the team’s conversations during the Tour de Rock have involved speculation about rain and what gear to wear. Thursday’s weather did not disappoint as the team pedalled out under sunny skies through scenic Oak Bay.
We were in the Greater Victoria area for the first time and for many of the riders, it was a much-anticipated and emotional homecoming. For Victoria Police rider Mike Massine, the first school we visited was truly just that. Both of his teenage daughters flew to hug him with open arms when we lined up our bikes in the packed Oak Bay High gymnasium. The cheers were deafening. There is no question about it: Oak Bay High loves Tour de Rock. The students’ fundraising surpassed even their own expectations and the team was presented with a cheque for a staggering $45,229.
I don’t think I really believed in the power of one person before being part of the Tour de Rock team. I will never again doubt that one person, regardless of age or ability, can make an enormous impact, whether they are fundraising or merely inspiring others to support a cause. Seven-year-old Kynan of Kelset Elementary School in North Saanich is one of those people. He single-handedly raised over $8,500 for the Canadian Cancer Society and had his head shaved in front of hundreds of people at the pier in Sidney.
It is impossible to choose just one uplifting moment today. There were too many to count as we cycled from school to school and headed north on the familiar Pat Bay Highway. But if I had to choose my favorite moment, it would be when the team’s odometer passed 1,000 kilometres. We were on a quiet back street near Sidney, at a moment when there were no spectators, just the Tour de Rock team cycling in two lines, cheering and shouting. A distance that seemed insurmountable only two weeks ago was completed.
As our journey nears an end Friday, we will cherish the memories, the friendships and look forward to the journey of the survivors and the long road ahead for them.
COMING UP ON DAY 14
Plenty of school visits Friday, including Esquimalt secondary, Eagle View, St. Joseph’s, Glanford, Lakehill, St. Margaret’s, Reynolds and Mount Doug. It all winds up with a finale at the Spirit Square stage in Centennial Square outside Victoria City Hall, with the riders arriving shortly before 5 p.m.
Hope all of you are doing well. Congrats on finishing the journey. It was a great pleasure to meet you and thanks again for making my son’s time with you so exciting for him.
There is truly no better feeling after being apart from family for an entended period than having your teenage daughters race to you in front of 1100 of their peers and hug you without hesitation.
This feeling is only surpassed in the pride of knowing our team has raised over $1.5 million in our fight against pediatric cancer.
Thank you all for your support!