The Toronto Anesthesia Cycling Club is preparing for this year's Bike for Brain Health charity event. Organizer, Dr. Sean Leung, recently chatted with us about the ongoing preparations and what participants can expect.
What is Bike for Brain Health?
Bike for Brain Health is an annual one-day event that raises funds in support of research, innovation, care, and education in the field of aging and brain health through Baycrest Health Sciences Centre. This year it will be held on June 4th, 2023. The DVP and the Gardiner Expressway will be reserved and closed off to motor vehicles so that participants can ride freely. Participants can sign up for the 25km, 50km, or 75km routes. There is also a timed 75km route for more competitive riders.
What inspired you to participate in the event?
I'm a huge advocate of social athleticism - using exercise as means to keep friends and family close and healthy. I started the Toronto Anesthesia Cycling Club (TACC) in the Summer of 2023 hoping to grow a community of friends and family that can bond together through cycling and maybe a few coffee breaks along the way. After organizing a few epic group rides, I thought it would be fun to get our team out to do a formal event while supporting a great cause. In anesthesia, we deal with consciousness and the brain every day, so Bike for Brain Health seemed like a fitting cause. It was also an event that seemed highly accessible and welcome to people of any fitness level. So I registered us under "Cycloflurane".
What are your expectations for the event?
This is my first year participating. I first heard of this event when I was back in elementary school and it was called "Ride for Heart" (Same idea, raising money for a different cause) but never had the chance to participate. I recently participated in the Whistler Gran Fondo in BC, where a lane of the Sea to Sky Highway was closed off for the race. It was an amazing experience, and I imagine having a whole highway shut down for a bike event in Toronto will be amazing too. Road cycling is always a bit scary because we share the roads with cars, but having the entire freeway to ourselves will be so liberating!
Anyone with a bike who can ride a bike can participate! The event is not a formal 'race' so it's not about speed or time. Anyone who wants to get out for an epic day of highway riding is welcome. Friends and family can also participate. For those with a need for speed, with a big enough team we can form a Peloton and ride the road a little more expeditiously...
P.S. If you want to train, feel free to reach out to me to join our TACC channels (WhatsApp, Strava, Zwift) and join us for some rides.
What do you hope your participation in this event will achieve?
I hope our participation in this ride will inspire people to get out and get active, and perhaps even to create some new bonds between people in the department. I firmly believe in the idea of being "stronger together" and I hope this will be the first of many events where TACC shows off its potential.
