Hitchen a rider: Local man has a big goal for the Great Cycle Challenge

“Every day, rain or shine,” he says.

While 29 kilometres a day for 31 days could be a daunting challenge, Hitchen says it’s easy for him to find the motivation to take on the Great Cycle Challenge. Since 2016 its raised money for the SickKids Foundation to help fight childhood cancer.

“When I have sponsors and I hear about how they lost a son or a child or how they’re currently battling cancer themselves, it helps me focus on how lucky and blessed that I am that I can actually hop on a bike and I can ride around and try and help them. So I think about them as I go.”

Hitchen is taking part for the fourth year. He got involved after two bouts of cancer himself and losing a close friend to the disease. He said he felt left with a void and questioned what he could do to help.

A friend suggested the Great Cycle Challenge.

“And it just gave me something to focus on, something that I could do,” Hitchen says. “So when you feel helpless, this actually gave you that outlet to say maybe I can make a little bit of difference.”

More than $21 million has been raised since 2016 and close to 115,000 cyclists have participated.

It’s free to register, and cyclists simply set a target to pedal in August and track their kilometres, and fundraise however they choose, setting their own target there as well.

“Whatever goal you want 10 kilometres, 1,000 kilometres, up to you,” says Hitchen. “Same thing with dollars, $10, 1,000, $10,000. Whatever you feel that you can raise to fight childhood cancer.”

Hitchen says the Great Cycle Challenge comes down to two simple things.

“If you love kids and hate cancer this is a great thing for you.”

You can find Hitchen’s personal fundraising page here. So far he’s raised almost $2,400 of his $3,000 goal.

by Chris Brown

Hitchen a rider: Local man has a big goal for the Great Cycle Challenge

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