Clara Hughes climbs and rides

On April 27,

Clara Hughes climbed the hill on Sydenham Road in Dundas, Ont., wearing blue jeans. Although it was a climb she had done on many training rides from 1991 to 1998, she found it difficult that day. It wasn’t the grade or even the jeans that made things hard. She was a bit emotional because she was riding up to a dedication ceremony that honoured her. At the top, her former coach Mirek Mazur, cyclists Steve Bauer and Curt Harnett, and local dignitaries were on hand for the unveiling of a plaque designating the grade “Clara’s Climb.”

The event in Dundas followed another significant Hughes milestone. On April 25, Bell, as part of its Let’s Talk program, announced Clara’s Big Ride. Starting in March 2014, Hughes will ride from Toronto to St. John’s N. L. Then there are stops in Happy Valley- Goose Bay, N. L.; Iqaluit, Nunavut; Yellowknife; Inuvik, n.w.t.; and Whitehorse. The plan is to use mountain or ’cross bikes for those northern sections. The final leg is a run from Vancouver to Ottawa, which concludes in the capital on Canada Day. The big ride is a project to raise awareness for mental health. Apart from riding, Hughes will also be making roughly 200 stops as part of the awareness project.