Sidney postcards from Belgium

UPDATE3: Another batch of postcards dropped in the mailbox today.

UPDATE2: Postcards from Belgium are on their way.

UPDATE1: Thank you so much! See my update below.

Hello cycling friends and family!

Since the beginning of December 2020, I've been in Belgium racing against the best professional cyclocross riders in the world, and I could use your help. I'm fundraising to get to the 2021 Cyclocross World Championships at the end of January.

I have previously raced CX World Cups and the World Championships in Europe in 2019, but this trip is my first real attempt at a solo Europe CX project. Deciding to travel to Belgium during the pandemic was not easy. I delayed and delayed, postponing at least one month while closely watching the health data from Belgium before making any final decision.

Towards the end of November, I felt confident the trip could be done safely. Special permission from the Belgium Consulate in Ottawa was required before leaving Canada, and as an Elite athlete competing in a professional sport, this was granted to me.

I'm staying with a small cohort of other cyclocross racers in our own little bubble and everyone is treating the situation with great respect. There are no spectators at the events, the race organizers have been doing an amazing job keeping us all safe, and we all have to be COVID tested at least every 10 days. To the best of my knowledge, none of the racers, mechanics, or staff have tested positive for COVID. Crossing fingers and toes that it stays that way. Everyone is treating the situation seriously.


The trip was a go, but after a year of no CX racing, it is taking my legs a bit longer to get back into form. I feel like I'm making positive progress and have my sights set on the U23 Women CX World Championships on January 31, 2021. If things were not going well or if I felt unsafe, I would have come home on Jan 4th, but things are going well, I'm learning lots, and I would really like to stay to give it my best shot.

All riders wear a mask right up until the last minute before the start. All mechanics, support people, organizers, and everyone else on the event site must wear a mask 100% of time.

So far, I've been able to race 3 World Cups (Namur, Dendermonde, Hulst), 5 C1 races, and 3 C2 races. An exhausting schedule, but it's been an amazing experience.

2020-12-06: Telenet Superprestige - De Schorre (Boom)
2020-12-12: X²0 badkamers Trofee (Antwerpen)
2020-12-13: Telenet Superprestige (Gavere)
2020-12-20: UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (Namur)
2020-12-22: Robotland Cyclocross (Essen)
2020-12-23: X²0 badkamers Trofee - Azencross (Herentals)
2020-12-26: Telenet Superprestige (Heusden-Zolder)
2020-12-27: UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (Dendermonde)
2020-12-30: Cyclocross Bredene (Bredene)
2021-01-01: X²0 badkamers Trofee - GP Sven Nys (Baal)
2021-01-03: UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (Hulst)


My racing legs are coming back and now that the big block of Christmas racing is over, I can focus on the next big push into the World Championships.


My racing this season in Belgium is entirely self-funded and self-organized. Unlike previous years, this year there is no support provided by Cycling Canada. Costs have increased significantly for me this year, including $155 every 10 days for mandatory COVID testing of myself and my mechanic.

Summary of expenses for two months of CX racing in Belgium:

Flight: $1500
Accommodations: $2700
Mechanics: $2300
Baggage fees, race fees, food, medical, misc: $1500
COVID testing: $1300 (tested 8+ times)
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Expense total: $9300

I was able to save up $2000 this year for this Europe project, plus family funding, and a CX Alberta grant:

Me: $2000
Family: $3500
CX Alberta : $500
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Funding total: $6000

I'm short $3300.

I've started this GoFundMe campaign to hopefully raise the remaining $3300 to get me to the World Championships.

Bonus: If you can contribute $100 or more, I will send you one of my personalized signed postcards from Belgium!


Thank you all so much for the kind words of encouragement and support! I have been receiving many messages from the community back home and everyone means a lot to me! I understand very well that everyone is stretched for money this year and absolutely anything you can spare is immensely appreciated.

Check out my Instagram  to follow along with this adventure.

A special thank you to Pedalhead  and Liv Canada  for all the support this year. I couldn't have done any of this without you!