On the 26th of July 2022, North Vancouver cyclist Bianca Hayes was 1,000 kilometres away from setting a world record when she crashed her bike in Quebec.
Her goal was to set a Women’s Guinness World record for being the fastest Trans-Canada rider and raise funds for ovarian cancer.
For Hayes, this was her second attempt at cycling from Vancouver to Halifax in 15 days. Her first attempt happened in 2020, which took 19 days, garnering the fastest recorded time for a cross-country sojourn by a woman.
Her Story
Haye’s mission to spread awareness for ovarian cancer started in 2018 when she lost her sister, Katrina. This left her nephew, Calvin, without his mom who was just two years old at that time.
“Knowing that he is growing up without his mom is extra motivation for me to continue what I’m doing.”
What further fueled her mission was the grueling reality she dealt with after her sister’s death: the 5-year survival rate for ovarian cancer hasn’t changed in the last 50 years. According to Hayes, “Hearing how little progress has been made on the disease that irreparably changed my family was like salt added to the wound.”
Ride For A Cause
Hayes’s journey started on the 13th of June 2022 with the cyclist clocking in 20 hours a day on her bike. She travelled through Kamloops, BC to get on the Trans-Canada Highway cross-country.
With a team of four supportive friends following her in a trailer, she would take 15-minute breaks every four hours and sleep for up to three hours each night. She tackled brutal conditions including headwinds of 60km/h, side winds of 40 km/h, a dust storm, and a heat wave.
Hayes recalled “My legs swelled up to three times their normal size. It was incredibly painful.”
Winning Through Adversity
Despite less than ideal conditions and her crash, Hayes was able to raise over $145,000. This donation will be presented to Ovarian Cancer Canada and the BC Cancer Foundation. The funds will be used for research, advocacies, and support for people affected by the disease across Canada.
While recovering from her injuries, Hayes mentioned she is still hopeful to set the record for the third time in the future.
