Bikes are helpful in many ways. But for people recovering or dealing with cancer, it can be a tool to speed up their recovery. I want to tell my story of battling cancer and how bikes brought me out of the darkest time of my life. 

During my journey through chemotherapy, I hated taking so many treatments, but it also taught me many valuable life lessons. I feel like a big bikepacking trip can be used as a metaphor for one's journey through cancer. Bikepacking, you often have moments of challenge and hardship. When you look back on the experience you realize how alive you felt and how the challenge taught you something. 

Bikepacking and cycling in general have also been a healthy outlet for my energy. A big part of surviving cancer for me is the PTSD related to the disease. I honestly have had a fear of getting cancer again throughout the 14 years I’ve been in remission. Bikes help me immensely with my mental health and physical health.

I also want to interview cancer patients or survivors that have used bikes as a part of their recovery. An example of someone I can talk to is Magnus Manson, a lymphoma survivor that is also a professional downhill racer. He rode his bike to chemo treatments and kept his physical health up by biking while battling cancer.

Another sport that connects to bikepacking, which I have found to be very therapeutic is packrafting. There are countless beautiful gravel roads in British Columbia that dead-end at bodies of water, and bringing a pack raft on the bike makes new routes possible. Also, it feels pretty cool to be amphibious! I already have lots of experience doing bike rafting in BC.

I have been dreaming of a big solo self-supported bike-rafting trip for about 5 years. It is a 1000-mile route going around the coast mountains of BC. I am estimating that it will take me 45 days. The route's crux is a 160-mile stretch of water from Port Hardy to Bella Coola. Luckily, I should be able to sail about 100 miles of the route based on a consistent tailwind that most inlets in BC have in the summer. I am training my upper body to take on the rest of the paddling with a heavy pack raft and a bike strapped to it.

 

Luckily BC weather in late June and July is pretty consistent and I shouldn’t have storms to worry about. However, safety is still my first priority. My biggest open water crossing of the route is 5 miles near the town of Port Hardy and for the rest of the trip I will be hugging the coastline. I predict traveling from Port Hardy to Bella Coola will take 2 weeks. I have tons of capacity for food and safety equipment on my boat such as satellite phones, first aid, and repair supplies. Luckily this route is well traveled and I should see people on sea kayaks or boats every day.

The bike riding is no walk in the park either. For the second half of the trip, I will be in some very remote areas of interior BC. This section is rugged double track / single track with grizzly bears. It has been completed solo a few times, however, and I am confident in my ability to do it and stay safe. 

I want to tell my story while on this odyssey. Tell how bikes have helped me with recovering from cancer and how they continue to keep my mental and physical health up.



Timeline

  • Bikepacking: June 15th - August 1st 2024

  • Filming interviews with cancer survivors, and key people in my life: September - December 2024

  • Editing: September - January 2025

  • Full film completed: January - February 2025

  • Premiere of film at film festivals: April - June 2025

  • Online release of full film: June 2025

Distribution

I want to make this a piece that can go to film festivals such as MountainFilm, Banff, 5Point, Kendal Mtn, VIMFF & European outdoor film tour. I have received 2 Staff Picks from Vimeo in the past and I will try to get this film selected with my connection to Vimeo. Whichever brand contributes the most funding will have the first pick of putting the film on their Youtube.

Deliverables for supporting brand(s)

  • Full 20-25 minute film

  • 30 photos

  • 2x 30s edits for highlighting gear used in the film

  • 5x 15s short social clips (loops, beautiful scenes, etc.)

  • 30s teaser

  • x3 15s teasers

Budget (USD)

- Directing: 4,000

- Editing: 3,000

- Camera equipment: 2,000

- Music: 2,000

- Graphics: 1,000

- Color: 1,000

- Sound: 1,000

- Food: 1,000

- Misc expenses: 500

Total: 15,500

Thank you!