Riding Across Canada for the Canadian Cancer Society

Help me set a New Trans Canada Record and Raise Money for the Canadian Cancer Society

Hi, my name is Ben Sweet, I'm from Coldwater, Ontario and I am attempting to set a new World Record and be the fastest person to ride my bike the 5800km Across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax. I will be documenting this whole journey on my social media accounts (primarily Instagram and YouTube) and in the process, I will be raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

What this Means to Me

Ever since I was a kid I always looked up to Terry Fox. What he was doing at such a young age, against such tough circumstances and for such a noble cause seemed so incredible and outlandish, frankly it seemed impossible. But he was doing it, day after day, week after week, he was doing it, and even though his trip got cut short it was still such an inspiring display of what could be possible if you believed enough to try.

I lost this spark for a little while, the spark that came from dreaming of pushing the limit of what was possible. That is until one day last March when on a whim I typed in "Cross Canada Cycling Record" and saw Chris Brukner's record of 13 Days, 3 Hours, and 49 Minutes, and after some calculations said the faithful words that lit that fire back brighter than ever, "I think I could beat that...". Since that day, I've been training to tackle this record, setting records of my own and winning 24 Hour TT North American Championships in the process. Now after a little over a year of training with this one goal in mind, I am finally ready to tackle the record that changed everything for me this summer.

Like Terry, I wanted to make this effort bigger than myself. Not only is this a massive personal goal of mine, but it is also an amazing opportunity to make a difference in something that effects all of us. Just like Terry, I will be using this ride to help find a Cure for Cancer and will be Fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society.

How the Funds will be Used

This brings me to this fundraiser and the costs for this attempt. An effort like this one is no small feat, and while I have some sponsor support, at this point I need some help to get the rest of the way. This attempt is going to cost about $15000 between gas, vehicle rentals, food, travel and all the other various expenses, which I will cover with Sponsors contributions and a percentage of donations. For every dollar raised, 50% will be used to fund the effort, and the other 50% will go straight to the Canadian Cancer Society. I'm not doing this ride to make money or for my own personal agenda beyond doing the ride itself and trying to set a New Record, so every dollar raised above what I need to break even on the attempt will go right back to the Canadian Cancer Society to help fight the battle against cancer.

What your Support Means

If you can donate, share this campaign, or just cheer along in person or online it absolutely means the world to me. With your help we can tackle this mighty challenge and raise money for a wonderful cause. Any and all support means so much to me and I really can't thank you enough for your help in any capacity!

Thank you so very, very much.

I hope to see and hear from you along the way!

Ben Sweet

You can Follow along on this journey here on Instagram