For Marie Campbell, a nurse at BC Children’s Hospital, what began as a personal challenge to test her physical limits soon evolved into a mission for the greater good.
In 2010, she entertained the idea of riding to the top of all three North Vancouver mountains – Seymour, Grouse and Cypress – in a single day.
“I also worked as a nurse for the BC Children’s Hospital on the cardiac unit at the time, and I thought, wouldn’t it be lovely to raise some money for a patio garden that children could walk around in the fresh air to make sure that their healing goes well after surgery?”
Campbell and 13 friends, including Stuart Lew and Dominik Szopa, cycled the trio of North Vancouver mountains, ultimately raising $2,200 to refurbish the rooftop patio. Buoyed by their accomplishment, they decided to turn their cycling event into an annual tradition. This Saturday, July 20, marks the 13th anniversary of their heartfelt initiative, now known as the Triple Crown for Heart cycling event.
The ride covers 76 kilometres on a route representing a heartbeat. Each of the three mountains that the cyclists climb represents the three main parts of the healthy heartbeat. It takes three to six hours for a cyclist to reach the finish line at the top of Cypress. A passion project of a handful of cycling friends has now turned into a charity ride which draws more than 150 road cyclists from around the Lower Mainland and as far away as Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Washington State.
“We’ve been very lucky to have a small but mighty crew of riders come to the event every year,” said Campbell.
Registration runs 6:30-7:30 a.m. at Ron Andrews Community Centre, and then the riders set off at 8 a.m.
“A lot of families of children who have been treated at BCCH, some doctors and nurses with BCCH Team Cardiac participate in this community event,” Campbell said.
Individual and team cyclists riding in the event raise funds through friends, family, and community support to reach their fundraising goal. Triple Crown for Heart has raised more than $285,000 since 2010 and aims to raise more than $50,000 this year.
Funds raised by the cyclists go to support the inpatient cardiac patients and their families on the sixth floor of the Teck Acute Care Centre at BCCH, with nutritional and comfort items while they are in the hospital. The funds also support the Children’s Heart Network registered charity which helps to fund Camp Zajac’s two-week-long Heart Camps for children and teens with congenital or acquired heart disease. The Triple Crown for Heart gives 100 per cent of the donated funds raised to their charitable causes.
Visit the event’s website for more information, to make a donation or sign up as a volunteer.
Fatemeh Falah is an intern reporter with the North Shore News. She can be contacted at [email protected].
