Where does the time go? My last post was almost two months ago, yet it seems like yesterday. So what better time to start thinking about wellness again as the College is humming anew with instructors and students returning from an amazing summer that just won’t quit? And with only 12 more sleeps before the MS Riding Mountain Challenge on September 8-9, what better segue to your RR Rebel Riders?

Our newest Red River Rebel Rider

Your rrrr… are a rider stronger since my last post. The exuberant Dayna Graham from our Exchange District Campus jumped on board August 9th, and she has already exceeded her $250 pledge goal! Talk about get-up-and-go! So why did she join?

“The inspirational wellness blogs…, the opportunity to contribute to a charitable cause…, and my love for outdoor activity… I am continually gratified by the incredible support by Red River College toward staff development. RRC creates and encourages a plethora of opportunities which foster staff development in wellness and intellectual capacity. All of these opportunities not only aide in individual growth, they serve as a catalyst for connecting with other staff/faculty members.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Check out Dayna’s profile, and even better still, support her with a secure online donation.

August Red River Rebel Rider, Wayne

And returning to the team after a 3-year hiatus is Wayne Ferguson, eager to raise money again for the important work the MS Society sponsors. So what motivated Wayne to join rrrr…?

“As a young boy, during the last interglacial period, I stood in complete awe of the cyclists riding through town completing their Jasper to Banff cycling adventure. These adventurous souls didn’t have light-weight carbon or titanium bikes, but much heavier steel frames. They didn’t have 30 gear Shimano or Campagnolo drive trains to help with the climbs up Wilcox Pass or Bow Summit; they had state-of-the-art  Sturmey-Archer 3-speed bikes.  Had their feats not been chronicled in the Crag and Canyon, I wouldn’t have believed their achievement. The Banff-Jasper Highway they rode was not the current route completed in the late 1950s, but rather the narrower,  less cyclist-friendly, road built as a make-work project prior to World War 2. “

“Forty or so years later, I took up cycling, as a result of a friend’s encouragement, as a way of getting exercise in a knee-friendlier way than running. One day I saw a poster for the MS 150 and the images reminded me of the achievements of the cyclists conquering the Banff-Jasper Highway on their primitive (by current standards) 3-speed bicycles. Entering the MS ride struck me as being as good a substitute for the Rockies as could be found in Manitoba; moreover, it would have the added benefit of raising money for an important cause. The hills on the Riding Mountain Challenge are much like those on the Banff-Jasper Highway; although there are no glaciers in the background.”

So, there you have it. Dayna and Wayne (and the rest of rrrr…) are quivering with anticipation, soon to hit the Dauphin to Wasagaming trail. Please help us put an end to MS with a secure online donation today. You can pledge the team, or any individual rrrr… rider.