Clearview riders aim to “ace” fundraising ride
Usually this column introduces local businesses and the story of their entrepreneurs. Similar but different is this story of five local people riding an incredible 850 kilometres over five days to raise funds for Campfire Circle, an Ontario-based camp for kids and families affected by childhood cancer.
Clearview residents Diana Miotto, Heather Dryden, Sara Bellamy, Karen Pilosof and Andrew MacEachern are cycling with 55 other Canadians from the camp’s Toronto office to Times Square NYC Sept. 11-15. Calling themselves the House of Cards, this group is aiming to raise $100,000 by cycling an average of 170 km/day and covering 9,000 meters of elevation (for reference, that’s higher than Mount Everest). With $70,000 already collected, they are in the final month of their training, riding in all types of weather throughout our community to ready themselves for this challenging and very meaningful fundraising adventure.
The team says, “We are a group of parents and cyclists that have come together for a common cause, for which we are all passionate. Many of us have ridden together on various cycling trips but this is the first time we are working together to raise money for such an important kids’ charity organization. Joking that one of us was such a ‘princess,’ we decided to call ourselves the House of Cards, and if you see us on the road, you’ll recognize us in our black, red and white card jerseys.”
Pilosof – Queen of Spades – got into cycling with her father. She has tried her hand in various triathlons (including an Ironman) and calls herself “a bit of an endurance adrenaline junkie.” With a milestone birthday this year, she was ready to take on anothersignificant challenge to explore the boundaries of her physical and mental strength. Motivated by this race and what it accomplishes for the camp, she pulled this group together to register.
Dryden – Queen of Clubs – threw herself into endurance cycling in 2008 with the inaugural Ride to Conquer Cancer in honour of her father. This spun into other incredibly demanding and competitive races including a four-woman team across a 860-mile ride, a three-woman team across 500 miles, and a three-day London-to-Paris ride, where she placed first in her age category. Loving cycling with her husband and Clearview friends, riding for this particular charity is her driver this year and way to celebrate a milestone birthday.
Bellamy – Queen of Hearts – has been in the area for over 25 years. Having recently turned 50, she wanted to commit to something totally new that would challenge her, get her out of her comfort zone and also give something back to the community in some way. Bellamy’s “why” is centred around the camp and their gift for giving sick kids a chance of truly experiencing a childhood through summer camp.
Miotto – Queen of Diamonds – started cycling by doing triathlons after her daughter was born. Since she enjoyed the cycling portion the best, she joined a team of four for a 500-mile race in the US, a 257-km solo ride, then a 24-hour relay race across 300 miles. Managing a full-time job as a Senior Wealth Advisor at ScotiaMcLeod (a major donor for the House of Cards team), she is determined to do this ride “because she can” and believes that “failure is not trying, not the outcome.” She carries with her the knowledge that she is helping children find joy in a time when they have to endure such pain.
And finally, MacEachern (who the Queens call Superman) is a father and business owner and has been coming up to Mulmur for 52 years. An avid and highly experienced strong rider (he has been placed in the fastest, more advanced group), he is committed to this ride because of what Campfire Circle does for kids and their families under incredibly challenging circumstances. He is extremely excited to arrive in Times Square 60 riders strong.
Safety is one of the team’s primary concerns, both on and off the road. With ages ranging from 51-64, maintenance is key. To successfully complete this ride, they need to constantly manage nutrition, hydration, physical health, injuries, fuel correctly, monitor energy levels and invest in proper recovery and sleep. And it’s a team effort; they have the support of each other, families, friends, and our community including trainers, physios, osteopaths and massage therapists. Oh, and anti-chafe cream is a must!
Between the five of them they have already broken two wrists, fractured a few toes, experienced femoral stenosis, managed a broken collarbone and a punctured lung, but they tape themselves up and “play the cards they have.” They train individually through the week with personal trainers and their own nutrition regimes, including strength training and yoga, then train together in Clearview on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the hilly and rolling roads mimic the route and types of elevation they will have to scale in the actual race. With ride load increasing as the date rolls nearer, they are currently investing 15 hours per week, covering 250-300 kilometres over three or four days.
The House of Cards main “wild cards?” Despite their experience and commitment to each other’s success, the team admits their fears include bad weather, the elevation and climbs, personal health issues, and the lack of recovery with five consecutive days of punishing rides.
For more information about Campfire Circle and to follow the House of Cards team or donate to their cause, search HCT House of Cards at support. campfirecircle.org/r2nyc.
Contributed photo: House of Cards queens are Karen Pilosof (from left), Diana Miotto, Heather Dryden and Sara Bellamy.
