Organization: SickKids Foundation

When Arnei de Guzman moved to Canada, he struggled with homesickness and wondered if he’d made the right call. A Facebook post about the Great Cycle Challenge led to the sense of purpose he yearned for.

Each August, the national event sees riders set distance goals and raise money for childhood cancer research. Since it began in 2016, nationwide participants have ridden more than 31 million kilometres and raised more than $61 million to combat kids’ cancer.

Inspired by the cause, Arnei rode in 2021 and has never looked back.

Now taking on the challenge for a sixth consecutive year, he looks to build on the 1,144 kilometres he has ridden and $7,690 he has raised for the SickKids Foundation.

“I choose to help them because they don’t want this kind of illness,” Arnei says. “For me, that’s the only thing that I can do for them — riding my bike and asking some of my friends to do the fundraising.”

This year’s ride carries personal significance — his father-in-law is a cancer survivor and his nephew is living with metastatic cancer.

“This ride is for him,” Arnei says.

To buy his first bike, Arnei worked two jobs while settling into life in Canada. Over the years, the challenge has become about far more than cycling, giving him purpose while meeting new people and strengthening his ties to the community.

“A lot of people, a lot of the Filipino community here in town supported me, so I became motivated again,” he says.

One of his favourite memories is exploring southwestern Alberta by bicycle, especially the Waterton area, which he says made him feel alive while providing peace and purpose.

Arnei also draws inspiration from his daughter, Freya, hoping participating in the challenge will teach her the importance of helping others.

“I’m doing this because I want my little girl to see how beautiful it is to live when you’re going to help someone,” he says.

Freya is riding in the Great Cycle Challenge for a third consecutive year. To date, she has ridden 79 kilometres and raised $1,552.

“Right now, over 1,700 children are diagnosed with cancer every year and it’s the biggest killer of children from disease in Canada. Kids should be living life, not fighting for it,” Freya wrote on her rider profile.

Arnei’s mountain bike, which he says holds special sentimental value, was recently stolen and later recovered with significant damage but the setback isn’t stopping him. He plans to ride this year on his road bike.

When it was suggested community members would help him buy a replacement, he asked them to give to the fundraiser instead.

“If anyone is thinking of helping me, I would respectfully ask that you consider supporting my fundraiser instead of helping me buy a new bike,” he wrote on Facebook. “Your generosity will go directly toward helping children who are bravely fighting cancer.”

Arnei says his fundraising remains his priority because he still has another bike he can ride, while children fighting cancer need support now.

“A new bike can wait,” he says. “If people want to help me, I’d rather they donate to the fundraiser so that children with cancer can receive the medicine and care they need. If a donation can help ease a child’s pain, even for just one day, then that’s far more important to me than getting a new bike.”

He is grateful to the community for helping him recover the stolen bike.

“It meant a lot,” says Arnei. “I never thought that I could recover my bike again.”

For this year’s challenge, Arnei has set a goal of riding 100 kilometres and raising $500, with $159 raised so far. He plans to do the ride on his birthday, Aug. 7.

Freya has set a goal of riding 75 kilometres and has already raised $500 this year.

Arnei says helping people who can’t repay the kindness is reward enough for him.

“If you are going to help, you don’t need to expect anything to come back from the people that you help,” he says. “That’s why I always choose to help the people that don’t have the capability to give back that help.”

More information about Arnei and Freya’s Great Cycle Challenge, including how to donate, is available online through their rider profiles at greatcyclechallenge.ca.