USA & Canada 2024 
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10/07/2024

​It was a fiery hot and sunny day as we kicked off our cycling for this year's Journey for X. Each year that we do this ride, we encounter new experiences and new weather patterns. While Ireland was so full of beauty and green and torrential rain, Vancouver WA was quite the opposite. It did have beauty in its own way, but the blistering heatwave and lack of much tree cover meant that we had to be very strategic with how we approached our days. With our group of eight (including six from the Ireland ride, one from the Canada ride, and one brand new rider), we were ready to take the bull by the horns and begin our American journey. 

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Day 1 began bright and early from the historic Fort Vancouver, where Tony Aguirre followed our tradition of music/ceremony to begin our Journey for X and read a poem which reminded him of his son Xavier, and which ultimately captures the essence of what we are trying to do with these rides.

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The Fallen Limb:

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A limb has fallen from the family tree

I keep hearing a voice that says "grieve not for me"

Remember the best times, the laughter, the song

The good life I lived while I was strong

Continue my heritage, I'm counting on you 

Keep smiling and surely the sun will shine through

My mind is at ease, my soul is at rest

Remembering all, how truly I was blessed

Continue traditions, no matter how small

Go on with your life, don't worry about falls

I miss you all dearly, so keep up your chin

Until the day comes we're together again

 

- Author Unknown (possibly Mary Elizabeth Frye)

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After Tony shared these words with us, we did our usual group huddle followed by a loud cheer of "XAVIER" to signal the start of JFX2024, and we set off quickly in order to try and beat the heat as much as we could. It somewhat worked, although the temperature did still reach 32°C and we did struggle to find shade for pretty much the entire nearly 80km that we cycled. Despite this, we worked well as a team and we managed to get through the day fairly quickly, as well as grind our way up the second biggest climb we have had to date (behind the massive hill leading into Buxton on Day 5 of our inaugural ride in 2021). So far so good. 

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Start 07:18; distance 79.68 km; moving time 05:25:32; elevation 1,023 m; 

max elevation 255 m; average speed 14.7 km/h; max speed 54.3 km/h.

11/07/2024

Fluids, sunscreen, electrolytes, repeat. This was the motto of the day. It was another scorcher, but luckily for us we had a bit more shade from the trees on the path so we managed to get through the day with only minor sunburns. A day full of undulating hills and many straight roads - this was truly a tale of two halves. The morning absolutely flew by and we were in total awe at the excellent time we were making. As the sun came out more in the afternoon we hit a bit of a wall with the small (but constant) inclines that started about 45km into the day. But we pushed through and really started to hit our stride with about 20km left, and ended the day on a high note with a new second best 80km time (second only to the penultimate day in Ireland when we had the wind at our backs pushing us all the way to Galway). 

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We settled into the Peppermill Empress Inn in Centralia where there was sadly no pool, but plenty of ice available for us to create makeshift ice baths in the tubs of the rooms. From there, we followed our motto and made sure to hydrate plenty as we would be facing the longest day of the ride on Day 3 - a daunting 109km on paper (which we know from experience usually means a few more kilometres at least). We really started to find our flow today within the group, and were super pleased with how everyone worked together and got through the day. Special shout out to Ocean for taking charge as our navigator and doing an excellent job of not only leading us on the route, but also staying in constant communication with the support vehicle to ensure smooth hydration and fuelling stops. 

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Start 07:52; distance 86.01 km; moving time 05:26:43; elevation 572 m; 

max elevation 152 m; average speed 15.8 km/h; max speed 46.0 km/h.

12/07/2024

Here it is, the big one. A record setting day. Strava will say that this was only our second longest cycle to date, but that's because it's including Day 1 of Ireland which involved a 5km ferry ride (which of course we didn't count towards our official total). Today, we hit an incredible 115km in extreme heat. And even more importantly, all eight of our cycling team made it through every single kilometre (and we range in age from 21-67!). We also hit a new PR for 100km, beating our previous record set in 2022 by over an hour. Immensely proud of the effort from everyone involved today. 

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The day began at a brisk 13°C (which would soon climb up to past 30 again by midday). We picked the route that was relatively flat compared to the other option, with a longer and steadier climb as opposed to the sharp and steep inclines we had faced previously. This seemed to be the best option for us, and it worked a treat. The road to Puyallup was paved with natural beauty. From horses to mountains, we spent a large chunk of our day on the easy-riding and well maintained Yelm-Tenino trail. Blessing us with shade and the occasional side quest for Tony and Rob in the form of public cycle parks with ramps and jumps, we emerged from the trail on the Yelm side and were almost immediately greeted with the stunning view of Mt. Rainier. A massive active stratovolcano in the Cascades mountain range, Mt. Rainier (aka Tahoma) reaches an impressive 14, 410 ft (4,392 m) and is coated in glacial ice year-round. It is the tallest mountain in the state of Washington, and it was a glorious sight for us to see. When we landed in Puyallup, the first thing we did was fill the tubs with ice so we could get our nightly soak. Then it was food, hot tub and bed. The USA is famous for having great facilities at many of their hotels, and they truly lived up to that in the areas we needed the most. We were only one of many large groups (among sports teams and families and everywhere in between), but the Hampton Inn & Suites at Tacoma/Puyallup were very accommodating. 

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Start 07:50; distance 115.01 km; moving time 06:30:00; elevation 575 m; 

max elevation 152 m; average speed 17.7 km/h; max speed 46.7 km/h.

13/07/2024

We slept in a bit this morning to give our muscles a bit of an extra break after our long ride, in hopes that it wouldn't affect our shorter day too much. However, it is basically tradition for us at this point to wildly underestimate how difficult our "shortest" days will be. We clocked 64 kilometres which was definitely the shortest distance of the week. It was also pretty flat, for basically the whole day, so in theory it should have been a piece of cake. But the sun had other plans. The route we took was a inter-city trail which was pretty much out in the open, with no tree cover whatsoever - exposing us not only to the full and brutal power of the sun, but some fairly strong headwinds as well. we ended up getting in no earlier than any of the other days so far, although we did leave slightly later than normal so it wasn't a huge difference. We also had our first repair call for the support vehicle when one of our riders had their bike tire burst early on in the day. Support man Doug was on the scene within minutes, and we were sent back on our way in no time at all. On the road we also happened to cross paths with the STP cyclists (Seattle to Portland) doing their 206 mile charity ride in the opposite direction, so we made sure to give them  friendly hello as we passed each other by. Another highlight of the day (at least for Tony and Rob) was when we passed another skate park, which they of course had to make the most of by doing a few loops on the ramps and bowls. We definitely made this day a lot harder than it needed to be, but we made it to the land of the Seattle Seahawks in one piece nonetheless.

 

We arrived at the Hilton Bellevue in good enough shape and after a quick ice bath and change of clothes made our way into Bellevue to see what the city had to offer on a Saturday night (Seattle was a bit off route so we didn't venture quite that far). An additional supporter in the form of our cousin Faylen made her way up from Canada to join us for a couple of days, and we were happy to have her there cheering us on after she supported us in Ireland as well. Next up: Day 5. A day we know is always chock full of drama and plot twists. 

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Start 09:35; distance 64.51 km; moving time 03:59:36; elevation 163 m; 

max elevation 31 m; average speed 16.2 km/h; max speed 52.1 km/h.

14/07/2024

For those that have been following along for a while and those that have joined in previous rides, you'll understand what I mean when I say that today was a total "Day 5." The subtle foreshadowing at the end of the Day 4 post will all make sense in a moment. The day began with us hitting the road shortly after 8am. By then, the temperature had already hit somewhere in the mid 20 degrees and we were immediately faced with a long, steep climb. After that, it was pretty much smooth sailing as we joined onto a very well kept but very busy public cycling path along the Sammamish River. There were all sorts of people on the wide path, including families and other large cycling groups. It was lovely and shaded, and the team were having a blast. The day was going suspiciously well...

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Unfortunately - as with every single Day 5 to date - it was short lived. We soon entered a portion of the path which dipped down under a bridge and narrowed substantially. While the rest of us slowed down as we approached the blind corner, the 20+ cyclists on road bikes that came flying at us through the opening didn't do the same. The distraction resulted in Tony hitting a pothole right before the dip, and subsequently getting thrown over the handlebars of his bike and taking a very nasty tumble. Luckily, Tony had the proper training and reflexes, and managed to execute a successful tuck and roll manoeuvre - minimizing what could have been a really bad injury. The support vehicle once again leapt into action and were on the scene within ten minutes. With the help of them and the speedy hospital services in Redmond, he was checked over and patched up in time to meet us at the next stop. No major injuries were sustained, but he will no doubt be very sore for the foreseeable. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of having the proper gear and support when undertaking this sort of endeavor. Tony had a high quality helmet on his head which ended up with two massive dents in it. The dents in the helmet mean that it did its job and allowed Tony to walk away in far better shape than he would have without one. Thank you to Fionna and Doug for being within our reach and jumping into action so rapidly, and to Roberto for thinking quickly on his feet and using his medical training to fashion a sling for Tony to be more comfortable as he took him through the First Aid protocol.

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Despite all of the setbacks on the day, we still made some great time and got to Arlington just after 3pm, which we were very grateful for as it had once again hit a blistering 32 degrees by then. Proud of the hard work from everyone today and for their ability to deal with a stressful situation as a team.  

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Start 08:10; distance 78.09 km; moving time 04:34:49; elevation 520 m; 

max elevation 166 m; average speed 17.1 km/h; max speed 53.7 km/h.

15/07/2024

Finally, some clouds! We set off bright and early again with hopes that it would be a bit of an easier day after the chaos of Day 5. Once we landed in Arlington yesterday and the painkillers wore off, Tony was definitely feeling every bump and bruise on his body. We wished him a speedy recovery as he joined the support crew for the remainder of the ride. The morning flew by for the rest of us, as we cycled just over 50km in around 3 or so hours. It was a nice change of pace and we pretty much ripped through the flat terrain. Mostly main roads with a sprinkling of the back-country and we saw a few heritage sites, including a segment of a fir tree that is over 700 years old and dates back to the end of the Middle Ages. 

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We had a quick stop in Burlington for iced coffees and donuts, right before we had our first big climb of the day into Chuckanut. The sun began to peek out right as we reached the top of the climb, and we observed some fantastic views of the coast before coasting down the other side of the hill we had just climbed. After a rapid 92km we ended the day in Bellingham, which was a familiar place that we used to bring Xavier to visit with our Grandpa Ed for many years. However, the day did not end there for all cyclists, as one of our crew was faced with a bicycle chain malfunction about a kilometer from the endpoint (spoiler: it was me) and had to do a bike swap in order to complete the route before taking her own bike into a local shop for an emergency repair ahead of the final day. 

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When everything was sorted (thanks again for the lift into town, Uncle Doug), we reconvened at a local Mexican restaurant called El Agave - a family favorite where we have had many enjoyable meals in the past. We were also joined by a couple of surprise guests that arrived just in time for the final day. Six days down, one to go!

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Start 08:23; distance 92.06 km; moving time 05:10:44; elevation 480 m; 

max elevation 106 m; average speed 17.8 km/h; max speed 53.2 km/h.

16/07/2024

We made it to the final day! And what an exciting and eventful day it was. When we landed in Bellingham on Day 6 we were joined by our fourth member of the "Core Four", none other than Jacob Lewis himself and his partner Jess. Sidelined this year due to educational commitments, they were not able to join for the whole ride but we were very pleased to have them join us for the homecoming. Today was an interesting one. We had quite a long distance if we were to cycle from Bellingham to the finish line at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), and given the timeline of when we needed to be there to meet with the charity staff, it was going to be cutting it close. So, because of this, we opted to break into two parties for the first half of the day - a group that would cycle right from Bellingham, and a group that would meet at the USA/Canada Border later in the morning and cycle the rest of the way from there. 

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It was just after the crack of dawn when we began (not really it was actually already quite sunny out). Breakfast was at around 6am which is basically right when it opened, and we were on the road shortly after that. We had to make good time if we wanted to cycle the 41km to the border for our designated 9am meet-up on the Canadian side with the rest of the crew. And we did just that, flying up the mostly flat terrain through Ferndale, Birch Bay, Blaine and finally the Peace Arch border crossing. We said goodbye to the USA as we crossed over with our bikes and met up with everyone else, who had coincidentally arrived at pretty much the exact same time as us. 

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On the other side, we were greeted with one brand new cyclist, Mike Weal, joining us for the final 56km of the day. Mike is an old school friend of Tony's and has a house in Birch Bay, which is where he cycled from in the morning to meet us at the border. We were also blessed to share a very significant and touching moment, when Xavier's mum Fionna took her final hormone-blocker pill after 5 years. Fionna is a breast cancer survivor, and has previously been treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and these hormone-blocking pills. She had her final pill, surrounded by her loved ones and with Xavier in her mind. Tony then gathered everyone together and we did our tradition of one last group huddle before the final leg of the journey. After a resounding cheer of "XAVIER" we were off once again. 

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Our newly bolstered group of 9 cyclists took off down the main roads of Surrey, making a mad dash through Delta and across the daunting Alex Fraser bridge that we faced once already in 2022. A quick picture and many nervous cyclists later and it was the other side of the bridge where we took a rest under the Queensborough Skytrain in New Westminster for our lunch stop before the last big push. We were very lucky to come across an ice cream truck at this stop, and indulged in some cool treats then were on our way. Next stop: Burnaby. It was the usual training route for the locals, and we crossed the line of Boundary Road into Vancouver just in time for the 3pm rush hour traffic. This was a daunting segment, as the drivers in Vancouver have been known to sport a bit of hostility towards cyclists on the road. Despite this, we managed to weave our way to Trout Lake Park where we quickly rehydrated before carrying on towards Downtown Vancouver. The end was in sight. 

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Start 06:43; distance 97.00 km; moving time 05:56:53; elevation 668 m; 

max elevation 138 m; average speed 16.3 km/h; max speed 44.5 km/h.

16/07/2024

As we approached the finish line at VGH, the sun was shining bright. The charity crew from the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation were there to greet us, with loud cheers and posterboards to celebrate the end of the ride. We were delighted to have such a warm welcome and the significance of the day was not lost on us. We had brought it home, to the very hospital that Xavier was finally diagnosed and where he spent his final days. The next hour or so was spent catching up, sharing stories of this year's ride, and taking a few photos. We then made our way back to Burnaby, which we originally intended to cycle back to but quickly changed our minds (we agreed that we had already crossed the official finish line, and cycling an extra 15km all uphill in the height of rush hour was probably not going to be necessary). We settled on the 97km we had already cycled, and hopped into a few Ubers to get back to Burnaby while the support vehicles brought our bikes. Our next stop of the night was the Burnaby Legion Branch 83 for a special presentation, followed by some food and drinks for all. Followed by the Great Bear Pub (one of Xavier's favourite old haunts), which would be our final stop before home for a hot shower and a long rest. Aja and Amber even decided to recreate a famous picture outside in front of the bear statue, in honour of a photo that Xavier and Roberto had taken together many years ago.

 

We would like to extend a massive thanks to the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation for their role in Journey for X 2024. They have been so supportive to us and our fundraising efforts during this campaign, and we look forward to a long partnership that will hopefully allow us to raise valuable funds for research and to save many lives in the process. 

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Total: moving time 37:52:17; distance 612.36 km; elevation gain 4,001 m.

After departing Vancouver and making our way to Burnaby Legion Branch 83, we spent an evening celebrating another successful ride. The Legion has supported us since the very beginning of Journey for X, and they sponsored us once again this year. Not only did they donate the cost of the t-shirts and supplies, but they also donated $3000.00 CAD towards Amyloidosis research in Xavier's name directly onto our VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation fundraising page (link is on the homepage of this website!). With The Burnaby Legion Branch 83's donation, we raised a total of $6050.00 CAD through that fundraising link. We raised an additional £1095.00 GBP (equivalent to just over $2000.00 CAD) on our JustGiving link for those donating outside of North America.  

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To commemorate the end of the ride, we decided (in true Xavier style) to host a kegger as a fundraiser and final hurrah, as the ride didn't end on a weekend this year and we wanted to include as many people as possible. So on Saturday, July 20th, we did just that and we had a fantastic turnout. There were kegs, bbqs, beer pong tournaments, music, and plenty of sunshine and good vibes. It was a perfect day and we managed to raise just over $1000.00 CAD on the night. This brings our final fundraising tally for JFX2024 to a whopping $9050.00 CAD for amyloidosis research, which we are delighted with.

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And so year four comes to a close. Another year down, many memories created, and even more money raised for Amyloidosis research. Four long years without Xavier have been difficult, and it has definitely been a journey for us all. Pedalling so many long kilometres across lands far and wide has not only helped us keep Xavier's memory alive, but it has allowed us to hopefully help the growing number of people that live with this awful disease. We have come so far, and yet we are only just getting started. Our final act of JFX2024 was a few days after the fundraiser, after the dust had settled. We have a tradition that we started in 2021, where at the end of the ride we place a lock with Xavier's name on it somewhere suitable. This year, we chose to put the lock in Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, on a steel sculpture called "love in the rain" which was designed to be adorned with love locks. It is a public art piece, which has a box next to it for keys to be dropped into. These keys are then recycled to be used on future sculptures. It was an emotional but touching moment shared, and a poignant end to what has been another rollercoaster of a ride. Until next year, and thank you all again for following along and supporting us.