Cycling across Canada is no longer such an amazing feat. Sure, it’s tough. It’s gruelling. It takes grit. No question there.
It’s just that cross-country bike trips have become so commonplace, they’ve lost their a bit of their cachet. It seems every other day you hear of someone else undertaking an “epic” journey from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, often in support of a charity or some other kind of cause.
Not to take anything away from the people who selflessly set out on these types of undertakings, but as journalists it’s easy to become a little bored when confronted with the same old story every year once the snow starts to melt. When something ceases to be new it usually ceases to be news.
But, if you haven’t already, take a look at the article about Tana Silverland on page 4 of this edition of the Rossland News. Even to the jaded eyes of a journalist, this is no run-of-the-mill story about a cross-country bike trip.
First of all, Silverland rides a recumbent tricycle, not a bike. But that, in itself, isn’t particularly interesting aside from the novelty factor.
The timeframe of her trip — 30 months — is certainly unusual, as it’s a lot longer than most coast-to-coast rides, which usually last only a summer. So too is the route she’s chosen, which takes “circuitous” to a whole new level. In her eastward journey, Silverland has covered 3,000 kilometers already and hasn’t even made it past Cranbrook yet.
But what struck us most about Silverland is the commitment it must take for her to not only devote two and a half years of her life to this voyage but also to rely solely on the generosity of strangers in each community she visits for food each day and shelter each night.
All this in an effort to simply spread the word of a charity she believes passionately in: SOS Children’s Villages.
That certainly grabbed our attention.
— Castlegar News