Seventy-five Texans cycled through Whitehorse on July 25 on a 4,000-mile (6,437-kilometre) journey to raise funds for cancer research.
Students from the University of Texas at Austin embarked on a 70-day ride from Austin, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska. Organized by the Texas 4000 for Cancer program, the event is touted by organizers as “the world’s longest annual charity bike ride.”
Three teams of 25 cyclists pedalled across the United States, starting from Texas. They journeyed through the desert of the American Southwest, traversed the Rocky Mountains, and crossed the Ozark Mountains.
All three teams met at the Robert Service campground in Whitehorse and will ride together towards the Alaskan border. The charity encourages riders to volunteer for community engagement activities along the way as stated on their website.
Sarah Winnier, travelling the Ozarks route which spans the American Midwest and extends into the Canadian prairies, told The News about her experience with Canada’s rotary clubs.
“We had a huge welcome at Dawson Creek and a special moment getting a start on the Alaskan Highway there. Fort St. John as well, we got to stay with host families and all had a bed for the night. So, the rotary clubs have been incredibly helpful,” Winnier said.
“We’ve been able to stay with many rotary clubs in Canada. Through that we’ve gotten to experience fun activities like chuck wagon racing in Lloydminster.”
Heavy rains caused landslides and swollen rivers in parts of southern Yukon and northeastern British Columbia in recent weeks. Despite these conditions, Winnier said that routes on the Alaska Highway remained open, ensuring timely arrivals in Whitehorse.
Winnier said that the group encountered wildfire issues near Watson Lake due to smoky conditions. Despite the poor air quality slowing riders down, they still made up enough time to maintain their schedule.
On day 61 of their journey, all teams reached Whitehorse. Winnier said the cyclists had visited Kathleen Lake and Burwash Landing, eventually making a successful border crossing on July 27.
While riding the Ozarks route, Avyay Katre discussed preparation and support for the event, emphasizing the benefit of having three support trailers equipped as bicycle repair stations for all participants.
“We just have to go on rides until we make that quota of 1500 miles. And doing 1500 miles, you grow a lot as a biker. I think the most growth happened on the ride,” Katre said.
“It was kind of rough starting out, but we started hitting really high distances consecutively, and people just do it. So our bodies are getting used to biking.”
Since 2004, riders have been passing through Whitehorse, according to the website. Winnier mentioned that while only University of Texas at Austin members can participate, Yukon residents can get involved by volunteering or contributing to community work.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
