World champion and Olympian Devon Kershaw will return home to Sudbury this week to host the third annual Sudbury Share the Road Ride.
On Aug. 18, Kershaw will team up with Eleanor McMahon, the CEO and founder of the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, to raise awareness for bike safety and healthy lifestyles.
The Share the Road Cycling Coalition, is an Ontario-based cycling advocacy organization that promotes bicycling as a mode of transportation, recreation and fitness through provincial advocacy.
This joint initiative between Kershaw and the Coalition will feature a 15-kilometre group bike ride in Sudbury, starting and finishing at Science North. It is open to cyclists of all ages and abilities.
Kershaw and McMahon share a common tragedy. McMahon lost her husband, OPP Sergeant Greg Stobbart, who was killed while on a training ride on his bike in June 2006.
Kershaw’s girlfriend, Sofie Manarin, was also killed on a training ride in Sudbury in 2001. The Share the Road Ride is being held in order to raise awareness of the benefits of cycling and the importance of sharing the road safely.
As the athlete ambassador for Share the Road, Kershaw has dedicated significant time and energy to promoting the work of the coalition, according to a press release.
“I look forward to this ride every year as an opportunity to be in my home community with friends and family,” Kershaw said in the release. “It is an important chance to remember that with increased awareness and education about the importance of sharing the road, collisions can be avoided.”
“I hope this event will not only be one that raises awareness about the importance of sharing the road — but of the inherent benefits of cycling,” he added.
“Sudbury has tremendous potential in terms of becoming a more bicycle-friendly community,and I would like to think this event will be an opportunity to reflect on this potential.”
McMahon will also be on hand for the event.
“Our organization is co-hosting eight Share the Road Rides in communities across Ontario this summer, but this event in Sudbury is near and dear to my heart,” she said in the press release. “It is a chance to remember, to reflect on why sharing the road is so important.”
The ride is set to begin at 6 p.m. with opening remarks set for 5:40 p.m. To register, or for more information, visit sharetheroad.ca.
- Posted by Jenny Jelen
