4th
The Story of Team One
Written by Heather and a little help from us, this story of team one’s journey is so fitting; our ups and downs; our tears our joys and a few little laughs too! I cannot believe it only took a couple of hours on Day 11, while bouncing down the highway in the RV, on our way to Lower Sackville, to create this:
Each journey began long ago.
to cross our great land by bike.
One on a team,
a common dream,
a cure for kids cancer we’d like.
“Were you dropped on your head?”
“You want to bike how far?”
250k,
average per day.
“I can’t do that in a car!”
Seven long months of hard training,
oh would spring ever come?
Cadence and speed,
eat, drink! You need!
The seat became one with our bum.
And then of course the fundraising,
25 grand was a lot.
Though funds are tight,
the cause is right,
kids cancer just has to be fought
Finally June has arrived,
Vancouver bound and unite.
Jeff Rushton guides,
group practice rides,
June 12th a short sleepless night.
7:45 sharp on our bikes,
was our timing ever that specific?
Toast of champagne
No hint of rain
We dipped wheels in the Pacific.
The ride has officially begun,
34 National Riders embark.
A spastic crew,
a downtown zoo,
somehow we escape without mark.
The mountains fly by in a blur,
‘til bang, bang, we awake in dismay.
RV has a flat,
Al can’t fix that.
Who needs sleep? Today’s just 305k!
Headwinds push back on the prairies,
where the deer and the antelope roam.
Thank you to Dene,
the man, the machine,
way past dark when he pulled us home.
We were gelling well as a team,
finally up to some speed.
Signal miscues,
chaos ensues.
Call 911, an ambulance we need.
Four riders down, four bikes to repair,
We forge on a quieter team.
Learn to relax,
staying on track,
Janna and Laurie okay, it would seem.
Ambassador kids are inspiring,
strength, courage, wisdom we borrow.
Smiles in with tears,
hope conquers fears,
never give up on dreams for tomorrow.
As a group our tan lines demark us,
long distance cyclists gone nuts.
Skin shorts built in,
grown as we spin,
from the spandex stretched over our butts.
Power bars fuse with their wrappers,
food on the road is a chore.
Patience is thin,
to get them in,
but to ride on we must always eat more.
By day three our best friend is butt butter,
need more cream where the sun doesn’t shine.
Love in a jar,
helps us go far,
bet yours isn’t as sore as mine.
At times we rode with great speed,
but we may have been overambitious.
Ride 401,
must not be done,
toss bikes over fences and ditches.
Directions are a bit of a problem,
Wilma’s not always our friend.
Do a u-turn,
Linda’s tires burn,
but we made Halifax in the end.
No small thanks to our great volunteers,
driving, laundry, and hours take a toll.
Best support crew,
getting us through,
they are crucial to achieving our goal.
Special thanks to our team leader Michael,
for keeping all our ducks in a row.
Hugs and high fives,
he owned our lives,
And not once did stress fractures show.
It’s hard to believe it’s all over,
Seven months of our lives at an end.
Newly forged team,
continued dream,
as a family our message we’ll send.
Coast to Coast brought us together,
united we travelled the distance.
Across the lands,
It’s in your hands,
go forward and make a difference.
