Ministry: Finance

Years doing the B4UW? Ridden B4UW 4 years

What’s your day job: Team Lead, Benefit Administration
What’s your past biking experience?
Loved my bike as a kid, seriously Road cycling for over 17 years, also enjoy Mountain biking and Cross biking. I love the outdoors and riding my bike on scenic roads is simply bliss.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Because it’s epic, greater opportunity for fundraising, plus the physical challenge of riding such a great distance in 10 days with no rest days and the logistics of it.

How are you preparing for B4UW?
Planning for the logistics, fitness, diet and riding, lots and lots of riding.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
Fatigue from the physical exertion and likely poor night sleeps, weather: rain/cold

What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
Walk my dog, read, garden, swim, travel, and activities with family and friends!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I LOVE doing jigsaw puzzles especially with friends and family.

Ministry
MCCSS/MGCS

What’s your day job?
I’m a Senior Policy Analyst at the Poverty Reduction Strategy Branch and I’m currently completing a Policy Residency with the Ontario Digital Service.

What’s your past biking experience?
I started cycling while living in New Brunswick, doing loops from Fredericton to Mactaquac. I also did a weeklong trip in Nova Scotia, heading from Halifax, along the north shore, to Cape Breton. When I moved to St. John’s for graduate school, I joined a cycling club called the Helmettes. We did daytrips around the Avalon Peninsula.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
This seemed like a great way to make sure I did more cycling this summer. Bonus that it supports the United Way!

 
How are you preparing for B4UW?
I’m cycling after work and doing longer routes on weekends, mostly along the Waterfront Trail. My preparation is pretty simple: get as many kilometers in before September as I can.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
Not stopping for a sandwich at York Street Kitchen when we pass through Stratford.

What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
I enjoy gardening, traveling, live music, podcasts, and sports.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I have harvested rice by hand in Thailand.

Ministry

Energy, Northern Development and Mines

What’s your day job?

Business Development Specialist, Trade, Investment and Marketing Unit

What’s your past biking experience?

This will be my fifth B4UW ride. I’ve been pretty active on the bike over the last few years including hitting local charity rides and the Etape du Tour in France. Unlike most of my riding buddies in North Bay, I am still happily resisting the winter trainer though!

What’s your inspiration for this ride?

Great cause and opportunity to stretch the riding season and connect with OPS colleagues outside of the typical channels.

How are you preparing for B4UW?

I will just keep riding through the summer including a couple longer back-to-back rides. And the week before departure I will get a massage, eat and sleep well and take a good few days away from the bike.

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

Getting to the butter tarts before Andreas does.

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

ITravel and trip planning, sauna, camping with family and friends, lake-time, skiing, food and drink and couch-time (especially during Masters week- what a lullaby).

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I missed last year’s ride because I opted for the way easier option of paddling 75-km down the Moose River to Moosonee. It was all downstream with no portages, no weather and wind largely at our backs.

I am a manager for the Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services and 3rd year B4UW rider. I joined because it was fun and challenging. I haven’t really been preparing but I hope to have fun.

What’s your day job?
Child Protection Information Network (CPIN) Site Implementation Manager

What’s your past biking experience?
Very little… I’m hoping that’s not a prerequisite . The longest distance I’ve ridden is 50km and I’ve just started riding with clips on a bike that’s not stationary.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Helping to increase awareness of UW while being involved in an activity with others and raising a little bit of money.

How are you preparing for B4UW?
Sending some prayers to the bike Gods and then trying to get some rides in both alone and with friends.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
Being prepared enough to endure the length of the ride.

What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
Arts with my 2 daughters, photography, yoga & mediation, travel and socialize with friends.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
Humm… where to begin.

Ministry:
MCYS

What’s your day job?
CPIN Lead (Child Protection Information Network)

What’s your past biking experience? 
leisure cyclist – I can beat my daughter in a biking race!  J  (although, she is 13 now and getting faster, it was much easier when she was on a tricycle)

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Raise money for the United Way, have fun while getting exercise, and meeting some wonderful OPS ers.  The United way does such wonderful work and I love the idea of supporting them in such an inspirational way

 
How are you preparing for B4UW?
Lots of cycling.  I am trying to mentally prepare for the ride and trying NOT to psych myself out.  I think I have the least amount of pro riding experience, so just want to be able to keep up

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
the ride itself – I am having my daughter search up some riding “hacks” to help.

Fundraising is a big challenge for me as well.  I had the opportunity to raise money for a great cause this year by rappelling down Toronto City hall – I learned a lot from this experience and it was the first time I raised so much money

 
What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
reading, spending time with my daughter and fur babies (Cats and dog) and spending time with friends and family

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I love to try new experiences.  I am the one person that people know that they can go to, to try something new and crazy (Lorie) J

T2

I am a manager for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

I have participated in the Bike for United Way for past seven years and was unable to attend the original Thunder Bay to Toronto epic journey. We have talked about bring back the T2T for many years and after some planning and feedback 2024 will be the year.

This self-funded, self supported ride will be a challenge in many ways but with my previous cycling background I hope to realise this epic journey while supporting the United Way.

I joined because it’s something I can do while helping others who need it the most. I train with early morning 50+ km rides out and back a few days a week and long weekend rides.

This is a chance to “Give where you Live” by donating to your local regional United Way through our portal. All funds go to the United Way of your choice.

Together we are Better! 

Ministry
 Community Safety and Correctional Services

What’s your day job?
Director, Clusters Business Services, Justice Technology Services

What’s your past biking experience?
 I started riding more seriously (for me, that is) about six years ago, but I mostly ride by myself (I enjoy the loneliness of the long distance rider).  I do the 100 km Durham Region Ride for United Way most years, led a team in the Ride for Heart on the Don Valley Parkway this year, took part in the two day Ride to Conquer Cancer between Toronto and Niagara Falls in 2014 and took part in a five day, 500km ride in Israel in 2015.  This will be my third B4UW.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Knowing that it will raise both awareness and additional funds for the United Way, seeing parts of Ontario in a new way and the camaraderie that develops during the ride.

How are you preparing for B4UW?
 I’m not doing enough yet – mainly biking on weekends and to work.  Doing the Durham Region 100km Ride for United Way in August.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
 Trying to keep up with the younger people – and hills.

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

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
Over the last eight years, I’ve also hiked up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Maachu Picchu in Peru.

Manitoulin ride leader

I ride for two reasons. One is because of the great group of people that make up these rides. Secondly is because United Way does such great work to further our communities.

I am a manager for the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services and 3rd year B4UW rider. B4UW gives me motivation to ride. I am training one km at a time :). I hope to have an amazing ride and meet lots of great people.