He’s already in the Guiness Book of records for cycling around Australia and now Reid Anderton is attempting to break the record for cycling across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax.
Anderton, 42 of Cornubia will tackle the Canada challenge from July 14, hoping to break the currently held record of 13 days and six hours for the 6000km ride. His intention is to cycle 455km a day.
Anderton will be accompanied by a crew of six, four from the Victoria Baptist church including Glennis Enkelmann, Natalie Campbell and Matthew Lavender and Graham Hedges of Victoria Point. Remaining crew are Dan Brown of Wakerley and American Mike Quinlisk.
“It’s a solo attempt which means that I am doing the riding and the support crew is doing everything else,” Anderton said.
Along the way, Anderton hopes to raise funds and awareness for Eagles Wings, an independent charity which is run by himself, Dan Brown and Natalie Campbell to raise funds for education for a dedicated few communities in Zambia. (ew.org.au).
Anderton said he was able to raise $108,000 when he tackled the Australian record. He completed this challenge in 2013, riding 14,200km in 37 days and one hour, averaging 383km per day.
“This ride (Canada) may be shorter, but I hit the Rockies straight away and we are attempting to do more kilometres a day. This will be a tough one,” Anderton said.
Anderton said that while he loved to ride, these big events took a lot out of him.
“Last time it took me six months to recover physically and two years mentally before I could even contemplate doing anything else. You have to be in the right head space. It is so hard on your body and while I am good to go, it is not enjoyable watching your body decline,” he said.
Anderton said that he faced riding 20 hours a day and the three to four hour recovery time was not sufficient, putting his body into a state of shock.
He currently trains with indoor sessions at Good Life and averages about 450km per week on the roads. He said he would build on this as the event got closer.
Anderton took up the challenge after receiving a call from the record holder who challenged him to a race around Australia.
“I told him ‘no’ to the race, but that I would attempt to beat his record in Canada. While I am crossing Canada west to east, he will be riding north to south. It would be nice if we crossed over on our bikes, but it is unlikely,” he said.
What keeps him going however is less about the cycling than the fund raising opportunity. The ride is linked to a simplicity challenge where people are asked to donate that money they have saved by giving something up for a period of time.
“It could be that they give up chocolate or coffee and donate the money saved. That way people can get actively involved or otherwise just make a donation.”
More on canadachallenge.org.au
A Canada challenge breakfast will be held at the Victoria Point sharks sporting club at 8am on June 16. Tickets are $40 and can be booked on the website.
