It started as a team of 2!

How unicyclist Zachary Wells continues to UNIte riders from coast to coast in the ride to fight kids’ cancer.

In 2020 my niece Maddison, who was 7yrs old at the time, showed an interest in participating in the Great Cycle Challenge Canada with me, her Uncle Zachy. It was at this time that I created the team called ‘Together We Ride’. During this particular year of the event I chose to keep it as a team of two. Below is a poem that I wrote that year to share with the GCCC community. 

‘Together We Ride’

Now more than ever our society is changing, 

let's take the time to make sure that we keep on engaging. 
One wheel, two wheels, three or more, get outside when you can, it doesn't have to be a chore. 
Stay active, keep smiling, we're in this together, 
for Sick Kids we ride to help them get better.

During the 2020 Challenge, Maddison raised a whopping $3,882.93 and pedaled 52.6km in the month of August to help fight kids’ cancer and I couldn’t have been more proud of this amazing accomplishment. In September 2020, nearing the end of the fundraising pages remaining active, my personal fundraising efforts had reached $9,260.60 of my $10,000.00 goal. Then I received an unexpected, last minute donation, in the amount of $739.40 from an amazing cyclist by the name of Walburga Pagniello. I quickly came to know more about this amazing individual once I called to thank them for their generous donation. This act of kindness gave me an idea for the 2021 event!

Fast forward to the 2021 registration for the Great Cycle Challenge Canada; it was time to open up our team of two and welcome more riders from coast to coast. I registered in January this time around, earlier than any other year.  I was able to get a handful of riders very quickly through my immediate circle of cycling friends, and then word began to spread. By March 4th, with approximately 36 riders and counting, we’d already raised $10,029.54 and were well on our way to meeting an exceeding our goals leading up to the campaign's start month of August. My niece Maddison was once again among the riders of this team, and it truly was becoming the ‘Together We Ride’ team. My team description read as follows: ‘This team will be ever growing with family, friends and anyone that I have met via this amazing event since 2017 should they be interested in joining us.’ Needless to say it also became people I hadn’t met too, and I was more than happy to welcome them onto the team. 

Back for our fourth year of fundraising as a collective, the Together We Ride Year 4 Team is open to anyone participating in the event. Let's kick cancers butt!‘