Clearly, the adage “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is one which Brianna Roth and Christy Little have embraced in recent times.
The two mountain bikers, you see, have had some down times lately, and their situation also includes Roth’s mom, Idel, who was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma (cancer of the blood) in March.
When you throw in a car crash, a bike crash and illness, you might think the pair could be feeling a little downtrodden these days.
But nothing could be further from the truth. After holding a group ride fundraiser event at the Iron Goat on Sept. 9 for the King’s Fold Retreat and Renewal Centre in Waiparous, Roth and Little are eyeing a mountain bike tour of the Alps to raise funds while supporting both Idel and the King’s centre.
On the agenda will be singletrack riding among villages from Chamonix in Switzerland, through Zermatt in Austria to the Aosta Valley in Italy.
Critical is the fact that the pair will be riding bikes, as the bicycle is Idel’s symbol of hope through her journey of healing. A bicycle, heart and chain also adorn T-shirts, designed by Little, that are being sold for $25 to raise funds.
“My mom was diagnosed in March,” said Roth. “And when she was leading a retreat at King’s Fold, she would ask everyone to choose a symbol of hope for themselves.
“Now, for herself, a bicycle is her symbol of hope. She’s not a competitor, she just loves to get on her bike, be outside and get around.
“And because she has a tumour pressing on her sciatic nerve, she can’t ride a bike right now. So it’s a goal of hers to get back on a bike.
“We wanted to have an impact on her therapy and for others who are dealing with cancer. We wanted to take on a bike challenge, get outdoors and help people, no matter their situation in life. We want to help people get out and enjoy each day.
“And we chose the Alps because of the daunting nature of it. You cross huge passes and a glacier.”
At the time of Idel’s diagnosis, Roth and Little were in New Zealand – where another whole aspect of healing creeps into the picture.
On a ride in Kiwi land, Little suffered a major crash, dropping 100 feet off a trail down a mountainside, breaking her back as she did so.
Little’s crash (“you just don’t live through that normally”), spurred her on in her support of a retreat fundraiser.
“I was wearing a heavy pack and went over a dropoff steeper than a double black; the never ending kind. I went head over heels, it was a remote area and I had to climb back up to the trail, then get back on my bike with Bri’s help and ride about five kilometres to where I could get on a helicopter out.
“I had some spinal chord damage, so for me to be on a bike and help give back – that’s way bigger than our story.
“We want to get the local community behind this and help encourage and inspire others. Bri supported me when I needed her help and now I’m supporting her and her mother.”
Roth and Little’s plan for the Alps is to ride from village to village, filming and documenting everything along the way with an eye toward creating a documentary afterward that can be shared with the community.
They will be self-supported through their ride and posting on Facebook as they travel.
On the local front, the pair are being supported by main shop sponsor Rebound Cycle and other bike shops like Bicycle Cafe and Outside Bike & Ski, where their $25 T-shirts are being sold – en route to hopefully raising $50,000.
The T-shirts are designed with a bike (Idel’s hope symbol) and a heart, “for people to have hope in their heart,” said Roth.
Finally, when it comes to hope, healing and recovery, in August, Roth’s family was en route from Vancouver to Canmore when their vehicle hydroplaned on the Coquihalla Highway in interior B.C. and all, including Idel, were injured.
At this time, said Roth, Idel will be finished with radiation therapy in a week, which is the last phase of her treatment plan.
King’s Fold Retreat and Renewal Centre (non-profit) has been helping people cope, and with rest and respite, since 1978. It’s located on a quarter section of land along Ghost River.
Those interested will be able to follow Roth and Little’s exploits via Facebook at HoldingHopeonBikes and donate through the pair’s GoFundMe at www.gofundme/holdinghopeformom. For more on King’s Fold, visit www.kingsfoldretreat.com.
