Red Deerians return from tandem bike ride across Canada
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Sep 13, 2020 | 1:23 PM
A Red Deer couple returned home this week following a 5,000 kilometre tandem bike ride across Canada.
JB Owen and Peter Giesin married three years ago, with the former celebrating her 50th birthday this year. Heâs 52.
Owen admits that after gaining 16 pounds during the early stages of the pandemic, she decided it was time to get off the couch and do something special.
âDuring this pause we found ourselves in, we were waiting to see what we could or couldnât do, but I thought that what we needed to do is start thinking of what is possible, and what we were capable of. That inspired me to do something exceptional,â says Owen.
âIâve never been an athlete, never cycled before competitively â Iâm the opposite of an athlete. So this was a personal challenge to show people you donât have to have experience or know the directions to get across the country; you just need the willingness.â
The pair set off from Red Deer on July 17, riding on 44 days since then, and between 100 to 200 kilometres daily. The task took up to seven hours each day.
From their home, they cycled east to northern Quebec, were turned away at New Brunswick due to pandemic restrictions, and then headed to Montreal and Ottawa before driving most of the way back.
In the nationâs capital is where Owen points to the highlight of their adventure.
âThey had an open mic on Parliament Hill, so I had a chance and the real privilege to speak, and I was thrilled to be able to say to people that they should lead by example, live life to the best of your ability, and show your children whatâs possible so we can move humanity forward,â she shares.
âCanada is such an incredible country and was amazing to see, and the people in both small towns and huge cities gave us so much support. We had a flat tire in Quebec and the garage we went to for repairs didnât even charge us.â
Owen and Giesin partnered with and raised money throughout their ride for The Sunshine Foundation of Canada, an organization which provides dream experiences to kids aged 7-17 living with severe physical disabilities.
Theyâve also partnered with a producer and director on a pilot for a TV show based on their trip and endeavours they hope to achieve in the future. Theyâre hoping to pitch the show â called âIgnite Possibilitiesâ â to Netflix and Amazon Prime.
âWe are in this time in the world where we really have to think about whatâs possible,â Owen concludes. âPeace is possible, inclusion is possible, and there are so many other things we can focus on in terms of whatâs possible instead of whatâs not.â