Vancouver Island paramedic biking elevation of Mt. Everest for cancer research
Pandemic restrictions are once again hindering efforts to launch a new Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock ride.
But that isn't stopping the event from happening.
Alumni riders are once again taking on the challenge, and one of them is upping his training a little early with a fundraiser dubbed "Everesting" Bear Mountain.
BC Ambulance paramedic Glen Polson will be cycling up Bear Mountain about 34 times to reach the accumulative elevation of Mount Everest, at more than 8,000 metres.
In total, Polson will be cycling about 156 kilometres as he goes up and down Bear Mountain to reach his elevation goal. The ride will start on Sunday at 3 a.m. – and could take up to 20 hours to complete.
Polson is hoping to raise one dollar for every metre climbed.
"A cancer journey isn’t easy, therefor my journey to raise money shouldn't be easy," he said.
"I’m fortunate I can go out and ride my bike. There’s lots of families and children that would love to ride their bike on Sunday but can’t, so that’s why I’m doing it, just for them," said Polson. "And hopefully it inspires other people to get out and ride their bike."
Polson says he began his training in December, and is halfway to his fundraising goal.
His online fundraiser can be found here, as well as a chance to win a fundraising prize from the Sooke Bike Club.
CTV News Vancouver Island is a proud sponsor of Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.