I’m thrilled to be taking part in the Bike for United Way, riding in a great part of our province with great people, while supporting a great cause. This is my fourth year participating and the pandemic has made fundraising for the United Way even more pertinent. On the ride, we meet with the local chapter of the United Way and hear about the need in the community and where our dollars go. My motivation this year is to exceed my previous fundraising efforts to support people who are continuing to experience challenges during the pandemic.

The United Way is an amazing organization doing important work across the province – this is an opportunity to fundraise and show support while also having a great time with friends and other OPSers!

Name:
Reema Khawja

Ministry:
Ontario Human Rights Commission

What’s your day job?
Senior Counsel

What’s your past biking experience?
Many years ago I started doing triathlons. Due to injuries, I have stopped running and swimming and now my passion is riding a bike. I commute to work by bike, ride with Morning Glory Cycling Club in Toronto as well as with my spouse and friends, and I have recently started bringing my bike along on vacations.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
This is a great opportunity to do something, dare I say, “epic” while camping in Ontario’s beautiful provincial parks and raising money for a great charity.

How are you preparing for B4UW?
The route will be challenging with lots of climbing between Peterborough and Bancroft so I will be doing lots of hill repeats! Plus, I will try to put in some long days in the saddle.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
Dealing with my chronic back and hamstring injuries. They will definitely be harder to manage with back-to-back days of long, hilly rides.

What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
Multi-day backpacking trips, camping, canoeing, kayaking, skate and downhill skiing, snowshoeing and cottaging – in other words being outside and being active especially with family and friends.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I have a part-time job in Nunavut and travel there a few times a year. I stood on the Arctic Circle when I was in the community of Naujaat (formerly known as Repulse Bay)!

Name:
Richard Fong

Ministry:
MGCS

What’s your day job?
Manager, Production Control and Shift Operations

What’s your past biking experience?
I’ve done the Ride for Heart, MS Ride and a variety of Gran Fondo events over the years.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Gives me a chance to ride in support of a great cause.

How are you preparing for B4UW?
More frequent, longer rides.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
Not stopping for too many snacks.

What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
Hiking, fishing and spending time with my family.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I’ve just recently become a grandfather.

Name:
Robyn Hughes

Ministry:
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

What’s your day job?
Senior Manager, Business Improvement and Innovation Branch, Social Assistance Programs Division

What’s your past biking experience?

B4UW 2014 Circle the Park was my very first long distance ride and it inspired a real love of riding and exploring Ontario.

I’m a ride leader with Toronto’s largest women’s cycling group, Saddle Sisters of High Park. I love to bikepack (like backpacking, but with a bicycle) and led two “intro to bikepacking” weekends last year. 30 women strapped a bunch of camping gear on their bikes and rode out for a magical night under the stars.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?

Exploring and seeing Ontario by bike is one of my favourite things to do. I’ve never been north of Sudbury and am excited to spend time riding through the north while raising money for a great cause. Being able to see the impact of those dollars on the local agencies, food banks and early years programs really connects you to how much these supports are needed.

How are you preparing for B4UW?

I’m super stoked to cover an enormous chunk of Ontario this year by bike!

I’ll be putting lots of kilometres and hills under my belt, mostly on dirt roads and trails. I’m planning to race two 800km bikepacking events: the Butter Tart 700 in Southwestern Ontario and the Log Driver’s Waltz in the Ottawa Valley and Outaouais regions.

It’ll be a change to ride on so much pavement after exploring the dirt roads and ATV tracks of southwestern and eastern Ontario.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?

10 straight days in the saddle! If anything is going to limit me, it’s going to be my rear end!

What do you like to do other than riding your bike?

Clean my bike.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I ate my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich only two years ago. I love them now for fuelling my long bike rides!

Western rider

Mary-Beth is a senior policy analyst for the Financial Services Regulatory Authority and 4th year B4UW rider. John is an independent consultant who recently led Ontario’s first digital identity project with the Ministry of Health and Niagara Health. Cycling is great exercise and an excellent way to keep sane during the Pandemic. They choose to support United Way because it helps so many at a grass roots level. In traveling through Manitoulin Island, they will see new parts of the province. Mary-Beth logged 1,000 km indoors and together they have been doing socially distanced rides with friends in Toronto, London, Niagara, Durham and Grand Bend.

Ministry
MGCS/ITS

What’s your day job?
Integrated Operations (Response Control Analyst)

Operations Control Centers, Infrastructure Technology Services

What’s your past biking experience
Have always enjoyed riding bikes. Built my own real road bike 10 years ago and have never looked back. Have been certified spin instructor for 8 years and lay down close to 200 to 300 km’s a week on what I like to call my playground!!!!

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Have been aware of B4UW rides over the last few years but haven’t had a chance to participate as my wife fell ill a few years back. She received the gift of life in Toronto almost two years ago, and now I have a chance to give back to a great cause.

How are you preparing for B4UW?
Spend as much time on the playground as possible, which is always!!!

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
Rain. I do not enjoy riding in it, although sometimes you have no choice when you need a road fix.

What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
Enjoying anything outdoors.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
Making a difference in my participants lives when I teach spin. They call me the love hate teacher. But they all keep coming back!!!

Ministry
Municipal Affairs & Housing

What’s your day job?
(Hopefully) inspiring the members of the Corporate Service Branch to be innovative and forward thinking in terms of how we deliver corporate services within the organization.

What’s your past biking experience?
Casual rider for the last 8 years.  Have done this ride twice so looking forward to lucky number 3!

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Getting out on the road and enjoying the last bits of summer with a group of extremely interesting and fun OPS colleagues.
 
How are you preparing for B4UW?
Get as many back-to-back riding days in as possible before the start of the ride! I’ve also been riding a single speed “Bone-squad bike” on my morning commutes so that’s helping build strength, while also looking cool.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
Is this a trick question? It will be the riding. But I can be more specific and state it will be riding long distances, and going uphill. I should have no problems with the downhills.
 
What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
 Golfing!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
My sister in-law recently started a bike company called “Bone-squad Bikes”. You should definitely check them out at https://www.bonesquadbicycles.com/

Ministry
MGCS/ITS

What’s your day job? 
Senior Network Build & Integration Advisor

What’s your past biking experience? 
Have done B4UW in the past. Recreational cycling and a bit of trail riding.  

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Missed 2017 B4UW ride … looking forward to doing 160km at least twice during the 2018 B4UW ride.

 How are you preparing for B4UW?    
Have shoes, a helmet, a kit and a bike … ride as much as possible so I can do 160km……. lets gett’er done !

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?         
Waking up and knowing you gotta ride 160km.

 What do you like to do other than riding your bike?           
Hiking, travelling, rowing.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.        
I can’t remember !

Ministry:
Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (Agency of the Ministry of Finance)
What’s your day job?
Head, Licensing and Risk Assessment- Market Conduct.

Years doing the B4UW? This will be my 4th B4UW.

What’s your past biking experience?
I raced on the road for 13 years across North America and have been riding for 40 years for love of the outdoors and seeing it on two wheels.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
New adventures and a great way to kick off my retirement which will come right after the ride!
 
How are you preparing for B4UW?
Ride, ride some more and then a little bit more. ( and weights and running)

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
If we get bad weather, aside from that, I expect smooth sailing.

What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
Traveling (with my bike). Cooking, hiking with my dog. Hanging out with my two sons. I am hoping to gain new hobbies in retirement.
 
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
Years ago, I did Duathlons. I decided to take that up again to celebrate my 60^th birthday!