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The Cycling4Water (C4W) team are biking across Canada to raise funds to build 65 wells in Africa, in partnership with Global Aid Network (GAiN),. According to GAiN, approximately 785 million people in the world don鈥檛 have access to clean drinking water.

This is the second journey for the team. They biked across Canada in 2014, logging nearly 7000 kms on their sea to sea journey. This time, their goal is to go 鈥淪ea to Sea to Sea.鈥�

C4W participated in a service at Northern Collective church on Black Street in Whitehorse last Sunday.

Lyndon Dojohn, support vehicle driver and church partnership coordinator for GAiN, delivered a stirring sermon. This is Dojohn鈥檚 first time driving with the C4W team.

Team Leader Mike Woodard also delivered an inspirational presentation on the team鈥檚 efforts, including a story about a well that took 14 attempts in total before it finally became a gusher, with help from the power of prayer.

Woodard was joined at Northern Collective by C4W co-founder Rob Montgomery and team member Timo Itkonen.

The number 65 has special significance with this group. The average age of the team as of this July is 65. Woodard and Montgomery turned 67 in July, Itkonen turned 70 the day before they left on this trip, and the 鈥渒id鈥� in the group, Gabe Mcreynolds, a newbie to C4W, is 56.

I sat down with Woodard after the service. He explained the significance of the number 65.

鈥淚t鈥檚 approximately 65 days of cycling 鈥� but it鈥檚 a little longer; because we take Sundays off 鈥� and then the average age is 65, and so we thought, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go for 65 wells.鈥� It seemed to ring nice, to have that as a goal. Last time we did 33, so actually our total 鈥� we鈥檙e hoping we can break 100.

鈥淭here鈥檚 100 villages that have clean water, the transformation 鈥� especially the stat about kids who are dying from water-related disease, it just kind of breaks my heart when I see 鈥� like my granddaughter 鈥� our kids sterilize bottles, and I鈥檓 thinking they鈥檙e so careful. No matter how hard these people try, they鈥檙e starting with disease-ridden water, and it鈥檚 just heart-breaking.鈥�

Woodard described their planned journey across Canada. 鈥淚f we could have gotten into the North West Territories, our average would have been about 190 kilometres a day, and we wouldn鈥檛 be able to do that without a support vehicle 鈥� this week was kind of an easy week. In fact, we only did 545 kilometres this week. And after that, this next week in fact will be our hardest, and we鈥檒l do over 1000.

鈥淪o we鈥檙e keeping a pretty good pace, just because of the size of Canada, and a window that we鈥檙e trying to fit it into. We鈥檙e pushing hard to get across the country.

鈥淚 told the team 鈥� 鈥榠t鈥檚 kind of like being a racehorse at the starting gate. When COVID opens, let鈥檚 go鈥� 鈥� it鈥檚 complicated, because we were supposed to do it last year, in 2020, but because of COVID, obviously, we didn鈥檛 鈥� it seemed like it was literally like that, and the door opened, and we were ready and we just took off.

鈥淲e were actually planning to leave on June 21, but delayed because of COVID, and set the start date in July.鈥�

The group started cycling July 19.

鈥淲e drove up from Abbotsford 鈥� this is a big country! Just driving up to Dawson City I thought 鈥榓re we ever gonna get there?鈥�

鈥淚t was so exciting just to start out. We dipped our tires in the Yukon River instead of the Arctic Ocean, and took off.鈥�

Woodard is very passionate about this noble undertaking, often getting quite emotional about their cause.

鈥淵ou have to be careful what you say, because we did say, when we finished last time, 鈥榳ell maybe we should do it when we鈥檙e 65.鈥� It is truly thrilling to think that you can do something so simple that it transforms people鈥檚 lives. It transforms villages, and all we have to do is kind of pedal across the country and draw attention to it. And people have been so generous. In fact, we already have 鈥� 33 wells committed 鈥� we had 31 before we even started. It鈥檚 been stunning just to see how generous people have been. And so we鈥檙e anticipating that we may hit that goal of 65.鈥�

Barely into their long journey, the team has already encountered some challenges.

鈥淭he conditions between here and Dawson City have been really difficult,鈥� says Woodard. 鈥淭he road construction 鈥� and one day it was raining 鈥� and then the wind 鈥� the last three days coming into Whitehorse, we had a headwind the whole time. And so that was really significant.鈥�

鈥淣ext week every day is more than 200 kilometres, just because there鈥檚 not much there, so we thought we might as well just cycle. This first week we鈥檝e reduced kilometres, and it鈥檚 kind of allowed us to get our sync as a team. And also we鈥檝e had a few things, like Timo鈥檚 cable broke, and of all places, it was just like four kilometres out of Whitehorse. No place else would we have been able to get it fixed. Then Gabe鈥檚 mother in law passed away, so he won鈥檛 be with us next week, and so there鈥檚 all kinds of things like that. Some of the places we thought were campgrounds, they were actually closed, so you鈥檙e finding places to fit in. And we鈥檝e been hosted a few times.鈥�

Of course, there have been many great experiences along the way, such as one that occurred during the initial C4W journey in 2014.

鈥淭he fun part is really connecting with the people across the country. The first night on our last ride we were with a family in Victoria. They invited their kids and grandkids, the neighbours over, and we were chatting with them at night. And then these grandkids walked away, and we thought they were bored. When they heard us talk about for $8.50 you can give somebody water for a lifetime, they went up to their piggy banks, got $8.50, and brought it back to give it to us. And it was like 鈥榦h wow, we just had that happen!鈥欌�� relates Woodard.

鈥淎nd we鈥檙e still having it happen. People in the campground at Dawson City wanted to know what we鈥檙e doin鈥�, and these three young women just said 鈥榟ey, we want to help!鈥�, and they gave us these $20 bills.

鈥淭oday we were out cycling here, just to explore the community, and this woman said 鈥榮o what are you guys doin鈥�, how come your shirts are all alike?鈥�, and when we told her, she handed us a $50 bill. It鈥檚 really heartwarming.

鈥淲e stop at Tim鈥檚 fairly often, and we were at this one Tim鈥檚 on the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan (in 2014), and these two ladies, who are about our age, were sitting there, and started chatting with us, and said 鈥榶eah, when we turned 60, we just had a big party鈥�, and so we were telling them we were kind of doing this to celebrate our birthdays, but also to do this. So when they got up to leave, they went and bought us two cards, and gave us $150 on a Tim鈥檚 card, just to help us along the way.

鈥淎nd this time, I was just telling a friend of mine about it, and a couple of days later, he phones me back, and he says 鈥榶eah, you know what, my wife and I, we鈥檙e going to take a well.鈥�

鈥淥ur family and friends have really rallied. In fact, we have more than $8500 from them come in towards wells.鈥�

It costs $8500 to sponsor one well, which services about 1000 people.

So if 1000 people each contribute $8.50, it鈥檚 enough to sponsor one well.

鈥淓very time we鈥檙e hosted or provided food, that kind of moves the sponsorship money into wells,鈥� says Woodard.

From here, they head to Prince Rupert, which will take about a week, and that鈥檚 as far as they go west. After that, it鈥檚 the long journey to Halifax- about 6,264 clicks.

鈥淲e鈥檒l dip our tires in the Pacific Ocean, and then we鈥檙e heading to Halifax,鈥� says Woodard.

If you want to get involved, 鈥渙n the website there鈥檚 a donate button, so people can donate through that,鈥� explains Woodard. 鈥淭he cool thing that GAiN does, is if that organization or individual takes a well, then they give them a specific village, and then they kind of identify, ok, here鈥檚 the village, and then they do a fulfillment report, which gives them some video footage of the well in the village.

鈥淎nd you can dedicate wells 鈥� we as a family said let鈥檚 do it in honour of our granddaughter (Zoe). Others have done memorial wells for a loved one that鈥檚 passed away.

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like adopting a village 鈥� you take a village, you give them some resources, that really does transform 鈥� both health-wise and also the spiritual impact that can transform lives too. It鈥檚 something so simple that we take for granted.鈥�

Woodard has a message for anyone interested in helping their worthy cause.

鈥淭he thing that motivates us is we want to give people the opportunity to give something good. As I shared, when you hear stats like there鈥檚 785 million people that do not have access to clean water, that鈥檚 just overwhelming. But we can all be a part of simply taking a step towards 鈥� and the step is for $8.50 you can give water to a person for a lifetime. And that鈥檚 just such a simple thing. And we live so, so well in Canada, we just have so much, and we can really change the course of someone鈥檚 life, just by giving them clean water.

鈥淭here鈥檚 something fun about doing something for someone who can never pay you back. You鈥檙e giving, you鈥檙e not going to get anything in return, except just the satisfaction you鈥檝e changed lives, you鈥檝e saved lives, just by being generous and kind of thinking about other people.鈥�