Hughes plans 12,000-km bike tour around Canada

Clara Hughes is taking the Bell Let’s Talk campaign on a 12,000-km bike ride around Canada that will start in Toronto next March and conclude on July 1, Canada Day, in Ottawa.

Hughes, a six-time Olympian, is the spokes person for the Bell Let’s Talk initiative created to raise awareness about mental health issues in Canada. She is hoping the “big ride” will promote positive, long-term change in the way Canadians view mental health and illnesses.

“What better way to travel than by bike to bring this message and empower communities across Canada to create their own mental health initiative and make a difference in their world,” Hughes said in an interview with CTV News on Thursday.

“This is an issue that affects every single one of us, if it’s not us, it’s someone close to us,” she said. “The success is going to be in the number of Canadians in each community that are inspired to continue this conversation.”

The ride is routed counter-clockwise around the country and will pass through 200 communities including Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Fredericton, Charlottetown, Halifax, St John’s, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Kuujjuaq, Iqaluit, Yellowknife, Inuvik, Dawson City, Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Thunder Bay before finishing in Ottawa.

Hughes will share her personal experiences with depression during schools visits and in each community that she visits along the way. In addition, every dollar raised will stay in that community.

“I’m so excited about this,” she added. “We will support local community programs in schools and what I love the most is that every single dollar that is raised stays in the community that it was raised in.”

Bell Let’s Talk has raised more than $62 million in three years for mental health awareness in Canada.