Riding for SickKids

Date: Tuesday, Apr 12, 2016

On June 4 and 5, riders will come together to make a difference in the 2016 Pfaff Porsche Hero Ride presented by RBC. Riders, who can choose to support SickKids through their ride, will depart from Toronto on a two-day, 250km biking expedition to Blue Mountain Village and back to Toronto.

Yannick will be one of the riders taking part in this year’s challenge. As last year’s top fundraiser, Yannick is looking forward to getting back on his bike in support of SickKids.

Prior to ever taking part in the Hero Ride, Yannick was not a cyclist. But after hearing about the Ride through a friend and knowing that his actions would help to make a difference in children’s health, he was motivated to take on the challenge.

“I had never actually ridden a road bike before signing up,” said Yannick. “Knowing that I would be helping kids was a great motivation and it helped me to start this adventure.”

Yannick began his training approximately four months prior to the Hero Ride. As he trained, he increased the distance he was able to go. The gradual improvements, plus the fact that he was surrounded by a lot of friends who were cyclists and were more than willing to share their advice and knowledge, allowed Yannick to become a stronger, more confident rider.

The day of the Hero Ride, Yannick recalls being very anxious for the first 15 kms, but rapidly gained confidence thanks to the support and encouragement of the riders around him. At the 60 km mark, Yannick was growing tired and was ready to drop off from his group, but one of his fellow riders came up alongside him and helped him to get his legs back.

“My muscle pain is nothing in comparison to what kids and families go through when they are sick and in hospital,” said Yannick. “I just kept telling my legs to ‘shut up’ and pushed through the pain.”

Crossing the finish line in Collingwood was one of the best feelings … it was the longest ride Yannick had ever done and it motivated him to know that he would be able to do it all over again the next day when they rode back to Toronto.

“You know over the 250 kms that you will encounter obstacles, but the more enduring the experience is, the sweeter the end result will be,” Yannick said.

Interested in joining the Hero Ride this year? Visit theheroride.com to learn more and sign up to join the Ride. You can also pledge your support to other riders.

“It is a great physical challenge but the rewards are a thousand times more important than the hours of hard work on a narrow saddle,” said Yannick.