Bianca Hayes is attempting to break the Guinness Record for the fastest ride across Canada
The cyclist only has 15 days to do all 5,900 km
Photo by:
David and Justina Tam of The Coconut Creative
On Monday, cyclist Bianca Hayes set off from Vancouver to attempt and break an incredible record: 5,900 km from Vancouver to Halifax in fifteen days, riding twenty hours and 400 km a day.
She is also hoping to raise $1 million for ovarian cancer. Hayes grew up in Vancouver, with her sister Katrina. Sadly, Katrina would die from ovarian cancer in 2018. After her death, Bianca was inspired to become the fastest woman to cycle across Canada. She would also raise over $40,000 for ovarian cancer research. Although Hayes broke the record by achieving the feat in nineteen days, and would be the fastest woman had biked across the country, it was the considered unofficial because Guinness World Records would only insert the title into the book if it was in fifteen days.
Rob Britton is attempting the Fastest Known Time from Merritt-Fernie
In 2022, she’s going for just that. She’s come a long way since her first attempt. She’s ramped up her training, and has a much bigger support team behind her that will do everything she can to achieve the goal. She’s also learned a lot from her first attempt. “I had over twenty flat tires, plus our RV broke down.” To make things worse, her support car’s battery died.
That meant instead of getting snacks directly from her crew, she’d have to make stops at gas stations along the way, costing her valuable time.
“My ride is also about raising awareness about cancer,” she says. Survival rates have not changed in decades and she is hoping that someday, hospitals and labs can create a more reliable and regular screening test for women, as early detection is so crucial for treatment.
“I am riding so that the women who hear this story know the following: our pap tests do not test for ovarian cancer; we do not currently have a screening test; and that every woman with ovaries is at risk,” Hayes posted. “I will stop at nothing to see this through.”
If you’d like to donate you can visit the Ovarian Cancer Society.
