Two Kelowna residents are preparing to ride across the country in support of mental health.
Joe Elsey and Will Evans have launched a project called Bloody Long Ride, which is an accurate description of the journey that the pair is about to embark on.
“We’re starting at the Mile Zero of the Marathon of Hope, and then we’re going up through Ontario taking Highway 17. Coming up across and going into Edmonton, up into Jasper, down through the Rockies, popping out near Golden and in through B.C,” said Evans.
“Off over to Whistler so we can skip out on Vancouver onto the ferry again and then all the way to Fort Hardy. So, we’re going pretty much as far as we can go. I think the total journey is going to be around 8,300 kilometers depending on stops.”
The pair have chosen four charities to support, two in the United Kingdom as they are both originally from the UK, and and two charities in Canada.
Evans has chosen Campaign Against Living Miserably in the UK and Elevation Outdoors in Kelowna.
“That is a suicide prevention hotline and a website that gets critical need for people who are suffering with mental health issues and suicide prevention,” said Evans.
“I’m also working with elevation outdoors, which is a local charity here that work with getting disadvantaged kids up out and about and they offer lots of different programs.”
While Elsey has chosen to support Athletic Minds Foundation in the UK and the Thomas Alan Budd Foundation in Kelowna.
He added that the ride is more than just raising money and more about generating a conversation about mental health.
“The UK one. That foundation runs an eight-week program which is completely free, covered by donations from lovely people, and they include psychoeducation, free access to counselling services and nutrition plans for physical education, personal trainers, all things that I think we can all probably agree are very important to good mental health,” said Elsey.
“My Canadian charity that I’ve chosen is the Thomas Alan Budd Foundation, and I’m in talks with Tom about seeing how he can help us along our journey.”
In June the team plans to ride from St. John’s Newfoundland to Port Hardy unassisted. The goal is to finish the trip in 75 days, depending on stops, with 58 days of riding. The team is aiming for a total average of 141 kilometres of day.
Elsey and Evans say they have never done anything like this before and have lots to do in preparation for the trip.
“Just going to be a lot of training, trying to get some sponsors spread awareness for the event and just generate a positive movement,” said Elsey.
More information about the Bloody Long Ride or ways to donate can be found on the team’s social media (@bloody.long.ride on Instagram).
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