Steve Bright
Age: 39
Occupation: Public Relations Professional
Hometown: Oakville, Ontario
Family: Married, two kids
My biggest physical accomplishment(s) to date: Cycling from Banff to Vancouver, Tour for Kids, Several Half Marathons
In the News: Bright rides bike for kids
In the News: Bright cycles for cancer research
Riding for Kids with Friends and Strangers
As a 22-year old university student, I rode a mountain bike from Banff to Vancouver with a friend. I didn’t train, propelled instead by young legs and a few thoughts of how fun it would be. It took us 12 days, going downhill a good part of the way. I finished in Vancouver with a few beers, and vaguely wondered if I would some day complete a trans-Canada ride.
Now, 18 years later, I’m on the road again toward a full crossing of this great country. And this time, instead of taking 12 days to go 1,100kms, I’ll be taking 12 days to go 6,800kms. At least I’ll have a proper road bike and full support group.
I came to know of the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride by participating in the Tour for Kids in Ontario – four days of cycling and camaraderie with friends old and new. I then volunteered to help organizers with some marketing and public relations for the inaugural Ride, watching in emotional amazement when the National Riders pulled into Toronto on a hot June afternoon last year. It was so inspiring that I became a National Rider myself this year.
The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride is both scary and very exciting for me. And that’s the essence of this ride as my 40th birthday looms this coming fall. I’m a cyclist trying to help kids survive their life-threatening battles, with those same kids helping me get through a life-changing ride. I’ve been touched too many times by cancer in my family. We’re all in this together.
That sense of team is what draws me to this adventure.
We’re a group of 36 regular people, riding for a common cause with the support of countless volunteers and ride-along cyclists, only some of whom we’ll actually get to know. But the impact of those people will be indelible.
Same with the kids and family members we will meet. Their stories make you cry and cheer, all in one breath. They make me hug my two little girls yet another time, and count the many blessings my wife Sharon and I have. And they make me train like I’ve never trained for anything before.
In short, thank you for your interest in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride. It improves the lives of innocent kids, and inspires me in this amazing adventure. And when it’s over, I’ll sit down with a beer, no doubt cry, and once again offer my gratitude to all those who helped us along every one of those 6,800kms.
“To travel is to live.” Hans Christian Andersen
