Shay Pitcher
- National: 1532nd
- Province: 822nd in ON
I'm Riding For
Maureen Mckenzie
I've yet to mention that there is someone I've been thinking about a lot during this challenge. Sixteen years ago our family lost Maureen to cancer. I was just a little kid at the time and I remember the confusion I felt that we wouldn't be able to see her anymore. Maureen was a truly amazing person. She was fun and kind, generous, selfless, creative, spiritual, and always encouraged me to make art. She used to buy me art supplies for my birthdays and at Christmas and she would always write a lovely supportive message to go with them. I never really liked to talk or think about cancer because it would remind me of loosing her. But through this challenge I've relized there is no sense in being afraid to talk about or say the word cancer. So in honor of Auntie Maureen I'm going to help kids kick cancer butt!
My Story
This August, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer!
Why? Because right now, over 1,700 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, and it's the biggest killer of children from disease in Canada.
Kids should be living life, not fighting for it.
So I am raising funds through my challenge to help these kids and support SickKids Foundation to allow them to continue their work in developing treatments and finding a cure for childhood cancer.
Please support me by making a donation to give these kids the brighter futures they deserve.
Your support will change little lives.
Thank you.
Shay
My Challenge
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Found a New Path!
26 Aug 2024What a lovely ride I had this morning! It was bright and sunny but, not too hot. I'm really enjoying riding with my seat at the proper height. No more knee soreness for me! In other news I discovered a new smooth path today! Our town has really grown in the last five years resulting in a large subdivision that was built just outside of it. Usually on my rides I see people walking or biking in and out of this pathway that connects with the original part of the town. I though it was just a short walking path that met up with the new subdivision but, I was wrong! It does meet up with the new subdivision however, it is no short path! Nay, nay! It is quite a long path in fact! I found myself saying "it's still going? Where does it end?". Everytime I thought I had reached the end there was another bend! Eventually it came out on the last street of the subdivision which I also thought was a small subdivision. Once again I was wrong. It's a large subdivision with a park in the middle! I decided to add this new find to my regular route. The path was freshly paved which made for a nice smooth ride. I was going pretty fast at one point and thought "is this how it feels to ride an ebike?" *zoom* I was going to explore further into the subdivision but I wasn't sure of the layout. You see our town's streets for the most part are laid out in a grid pattern. So, you can always be sure that if you miss a turn you can just go up to the next street and loop back around. I'll have to familiarize myself with the subdivision and go back for another tour. On that note never be afraid to go new places! People always say they'll "get lost" if they don't know where they're going. But the truth is You can never really get lost! After all you can always turn around and go back the way you came! So, get out there and explore! Find new places and feel like you're going on an adventure. Because you are and adventures are fun! You never know who you'll meet or what will happen. Be brave, be bold, have some courage and go for it! Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I rode past a fellow GCC rider today! Unfortunately, we were both going pretty fast so I didn't get a chance to stop her and ask her name. I'm hoping to run into her again before the challenge ends. Wish me luck!
Posted 7 hours ago -
15.4 km ride - Bright Sunny Day! - Monday, August 26, 2024
Logged this ride 18 hours ago -
Seat Height is Important!
25 Aug 2024Last night I was reading an article about seat height on a bicycle. You see I'm on the shorter side coming in at 5'4 1/2". So, one of my challenges when learning to ride a bike was I couldn't get on the bike because most bikes have a high center bar that I couldn't get my leg over. When I bought my cruiser I got it because it had an easy step through bar which is great it meant I could finally get on a bike! So the next challenge for me was seat height! Because I'm short I couldn't get on the seat if it was too high so, as you'll see in my profile picture I set the bar half an inch from the post. I was all set I could get on my bike and ride! Everything was good! I've been riding my bike like that since I got it last September. However, over the course of this challenge I've been having some trouble with sore knees. So I was reading some bicycle articles online when I came across one called "How to set your mountain bike seat height and why it's so important". Where I discovered that even if you're short you still need to set the seat height to be inline with the top of your hip bone. This allows for proper pedaling and extension of your legs. You'll know when you're sitting at the right height because you should have a slight bend in your knee when the pedal is in the 6'oclock position. It went on to say that having your seat at the right height prevents burning thighs, knee pain/soreness, and over extension. Well needless to say this was news to me! So, first thing this morning I went out to my garage and adjusted my seat height on my cruiser. I set it inline with my hip like the article suggested. It looked really high! I got on and didn't have any issue reaching my seat thanks to all my cycling experience 😎! I took the bike out on my ride and was astounded at the difference! I was up higher and could pedal so much easier! My knees never hurt the entire time and I still had very good control and balance. I did stop for a second and drop the seat half an inch because I wasn't confident I could stop safely at this new height. After that quick adjustment I was good to go! I thought to myself "wow I've got a lot to learn about cycling still!". So, my advice today is when starting something new it's great to just dive into it head first but, it's also good to do some research too 😅. On that note if you see me rolling around at my new proper height feel free to say hello! Enjoy today's picture of the rising sun and some beautiful clouds. If you're interested here is the link to the article I mentioned https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/set-mountain-bike-seat-height-important/
Posted 1 day ago -
12.1 km ride - Calm Morning Ride - Sunday, August 25, 2024
Logged this ride 2 days ago -
Swing Break
23 Aug 2024Today I went for the longest ride I've done in a while. I went 11.35km! Lately I've only been able to do between 4.5km and 7km because my knees are felling sore from all the riding. I find if I rest them one day or part of the day they aren't as sore. I should probably give them a proper rest but, I love riding my bike everyday! It's good for both my mental and physical health. I find a good bike ride always helps clear my mind. During my ride I stopped at the Chanonhouse Park to have a water break. It was hot out today! While I was there I looked over at the swingset and thought back to when I was younger and my friends and I would hang out at the swings. We'd challenge each other to see who could swing the highest. It was a lot of fun! I really love swings and I use to have my very own swingset in my backyard as a kid. I thought to myself "I'd really like to swing on the swings". It's been so long since I've had a good swing. There was noone at the park so I threw judgement and potential onlookers to the wind and hopped on the swing! It took me back to being kid again swinging on the swing and I remembered what I loved most about swings. They make you feel like you're flying! After a nice swing break I got back to my ride and said to myself "That was really fun!". Let this be a lesson if there is something you use to enjoy doing as a kid and you think "I can't do that anymore it's just for kids". Don't listen to yourself! Go out there and have fun because having fun and taking time to play isn't just for kids. So hop on that proverbial swingset and feel like a kid again! You probably already guessed what today's picture is. It's the Chanonhouse park swingset!
Posted 3 days ago -
11.4 km ride - Midmorning Ride - Friday, August 23, 2024
Logged this ride 4 days ago -
Jock River Park Trail
21 Aug 2024Today I ventured out on my mountain bike and decided to checkout the short trail that runs through the Jock River Park. My mom and I use to walk though the trail on our way to my grandparents house all the time when I was little. Back then it was a very natural trail all dirt and tree roots sticking out just how it should be. I remember in the middle of the trail there was this big bump and at the top was this huge tree root that stuck out. We would warn cyclists about the tree root if we encountered them further up the trail. Unfortunately, all that is gone now. As I rode through there today the dirt trail was replaced with gravel and the big tree root was either buried by the gravel or removed. The two large rocks were still there though. It was sad to see something from childhood changed so much. I remember the magic of walking through there as a kid and feeling like I was in The Spiderwick Chronicles or My Neighbor Totoro. What was once a quiet naturalized path has been turned into an uninspiring gravel path. It reminds me of the Joni Mitchell lyric from Big Yellow Taxi "They paved paradise, put up a parking lot". On a lighter note to forest destruction here is today's picture of the mighty Jock River. The water level is really high right now from all the rain but, I remember walking down the length of this river as a kid when it would dry up sometimes in the summer.
Posted 5 days ago -
4.7 km ride - Short Trail Ride - Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Logged this ride 6 days ago -
Relaxing Evening Ride
21 Aug 2024Today I went for a very nice quiet ride around 7:30pm. It was cooler out and I didn't bring a warm enough jacket so I was a bit cold during my ride. My knees have been feeling the burn lately so I took my cruiser on a slow ride and took it easy. It was the first time I ventured over the railroad tracks! I wanted to take some pictures of the swamp on the other side and I'm glad I did. When I got there a heron was sitting on a log in the middle of the swamp waiting patiently to catch some dinner! Unfortunately, my picture of the heron didn't turn out but, my "shades of green" picture did!
Posted 6 days ago -
7.8 km ride - Quiet Evening Ride - Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Logged this ride 7 days ago
My Sponsors
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Kick Cancer's Butt Day matched donation
“Here's your matched donation made possible by the generosity of long-time SickKids Foundation supporters, the Garron family. THANK YOU so much for your awesome efforts to kick cancer's butt!”
$370.61Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thank you to Sickkids and the Garron family for matching donations. I'm really enjoying this challenge and helping kids kick cancer's butt!”
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Christy Pitcher
“I'm so proud of my girl. You are AWESOME!! Keep going you can do it! :)”
$129.38Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thanks Mumzie! You are the best mom ever and my biggest supporter always! Love you! 🥰”
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Sheelah Lusk
“Happy Biking”
$124.20Received this donation 18 days ago
Shay
“Thank you so much for your support Sheel! 😊”
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Christina Jarvis
“Excellent! Such a wonderful way to help!”
$103.50Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thank you for your support Chris! I'm really enjoying this challenge and cycling for the kids.”
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Wayne & Delia Lusk
“Way to go Shay!! We are so proud of our granddaughter! Love Grandpa & Grandma”
$103.50Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thank you Grandma & Grandpa for always supporting me! 😊”
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Susan Elsdon
$100Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thank you for your support Susan! 😊”
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Mary McNeill
“Shay, you rock!! I'm delighted to be the first of your sponsors. I hope you enjoy every one of your GCC km's”
$77.63Received this donation 23 days ago
Shay
“Thank you so much for the encouragement Mary! It's because of you that I was inspired to take on this challenge. Good luck with your ride this year!”
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Wendy Fuller
“Amazing, Shay. I love your journal entries.”
$51.75Received this donation 8 days ago
Shay
“Thanks for you support Wendy! I'm glad you're enjoying my posts. I have a lot of fun writing them and taking pictures on my rides 😄”
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Lori Fielding
“Keep on keeping on!”
$50Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thank you so much Lori for the support!”
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Katrina Shea
“Way to go Shay!! Ride on girl, keep on keeping on! From the Sheas”
$36.23Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thank you so much for your support Treen & Ger! I'm going to keep riding no matter what! 😊”
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Shannon MacGillivray
“Go Shay!”
$20.70Received this donation 13 days ago
Shay
“Thank you for your support Shannon! 😊”
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Tammy Longmire
“Here is the girl who couldn't ride a bike last year and now look at you. Good for you for doing this challenge!”
$20Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thank you for your support and encouragement Tammy!”
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Mark Shainblum
“Way to go, Shay!!”
$15.53Received this donation 17 days ago
Shay
“Thank you for your support Mark!”
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Anna
“Supporting you in your challenge!”
$10.35Received this donation 12 days ago
Shay
“Thank you for your support Anna!”