Red Cross Talks: Excerpt

Team Laundry

Written by Christina Smith

Tuesday, 26 October 2010 09:50

2:45 am and just heading back with our clean, dry clothes to the camper hoping to hit the hay by 3. It’s been raining pretty heavily so we’ve been going through many changes of clothes preventing hypothermia and getting sick. Our mission to raise funds for the Red Cross is still going strong and made easier with the support from people back home, sponsors, our driver Travis and documentary director Mike! Thanks for everyones encouragement, donations and correspondence along the way!
Christina
Sent from my iPhone

Canadian Red Cross: Release

WESTERN CANADA Release 10.06.10 MISS CANADA AND OLYMPIC BOBSLEDDERS RIDE INTO BURNABY ON 4,000 KM RED CROSS FUNDRAISER   (British Columbia) October 4, 2010: On Wednesday October 6th  Miss Canada 2009, Shannon Lynn along with Canadian Olympic Bobsledder Christina Smith and American Olympic Bobsledders Brock Kreitzburg and Bill Schuffenhauer will join MLAs Richard Lee and Harry Bloy along with the Canadian Red Cross team for a welcome celebration.  The Ride for Red team is on schedule to arrive in Burnaby, BC on Wednesday October 6, 2010 marking 981 kilometres into their 4000 kilometre journey in support of the Canadian and American Red Cross Societies.   (L-R) Canadian Red Cross Acting Regional Operations Manager Magdalena Blasiak, MLA Harry Bloy, Canadian Olympic Bobsledder Christina Smith, MLA Richard Lee, Miss Canada 2009 Shannon Lynn, American Olympic Bobsledder Bill Schuffenhauer, Canadian Red Cross Regional Council President Cassandra Consiglio, and American Olympic Bobsledders Brock Kreitzburg at the welcome celebration in Burnaby, BC. ”The team and I experienced a most wonderful, long, intense, long, beautiful day,” says Bill Schuffenhauer, American bobsled Olympic medalist after a ride that rose over 4500ft in elevation “The Canadian Rockies are amazingly beautiful.”  Four full time Ride for Red riders (Miss Canada and three Olympians) and various day riders will participate in this great event. Riders Shannon Lynn, Brock Kreitzburg, Christina Smith, and Billy Schuffenhauer are passionate about giving back to the community, helping others and supporting Red Cross initiatives. “This 4000 km journey is an amazing undertaking and really shows how much these athletes believe in the work of the Red Cross” said Marilyn MacDonald, Fund Development Coordinator with the Canadian Red Cross.  “It is through the support of our community and through individuals like Shannon Lynn and the Ride for Red team that the Red Cross is able to help vulnerable people here at home, and around the world.” Donations to the Ride for Red event will be accepted at events, daily stops, online at http://www.therideforered.com/ or via text message donation. All major Canadian and American phone service providers carry the option of texting a donation to the Ride for Red.  Text “FIVE” or “TEN” to 20222 to donate $5 or $10 respectively. -30- For more information please contact: Chris Freimond Canadian Red Cross – British Columbia Public Affairs Burnaby Phone: 778-840-2428 chris.freimond@redcross.ca   View this Article on the Canadian Red Cross Website.

R4R Training Blog #1

Written by Christina Smith

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 08:29

I’ve been resisting to start blogging because I wanted to start from the
beginning of how I got involved with The Ride for Red….well, it will have
to wait because I fall behind every day I hold off wanting everything to be
perfect. I have experienced so many memorable days on the bike that I can’t
let one more day go by without sharing it with you.

Spent most of the morning finalizing details for location of send off Sep
26. I applaud everyone who is working hard to do their part with logistics
and preparation for an amazing tour. Without the volunteers, the riders or
our fearless leader, we wouldn’t have a tour and be able to raise funds for
the Red Cross. Everyone plays an equally important role and is a crucial
piece of the puzzle. All require focus, discipline, consistent effort and
determination. I am so proud to be part of this organization! I hope
everyone enjoys following our group to our destination in Santa Monica from
our starting point of Calgary.

Today was 9 degrees Celsius, cold, rainy and windy. I hope the weather will
make a turn for the better when we depart on our great 40 day adventure. Our
full team will be here on Sunday (5 sleeps). I am both excited and nervous
as this is an indication that we are approaching D-Day (Departure Day). I
must face the facts that this weather will most likely be what we should
expect, and worse, on our trip through the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and
British Columbia. Today I must venture out to test (for myself and my team)
both my clothing gear selection to make sure I have the layers mastered for
warmth, comfort and functionality and also to see how my slick tires
function on the fallen wet leaves, the wet asphalt, the wet paint lines on
the road, maneuver wet curvey corners, descend steep wet hills at a fast
pace and see how effective the brakes work, and so many small details I
still am trying to figure out…but that’s the fun of it right? I don’t want
to spend another day on the wind trainer. Be gone strong and brave
one…embrace your journey….mount your Specialized horse and ride off into
the mist and low hanging clouds!
I was used to riding slalom around the grasshoppers on the trails during
these last few months, now since all the rain, it’s earth worms today! Thank
goodness when you accidentally run one over and split them in half, the two
sides stay alive some how…anyone want to tell me how?…I can’t remember
from school, but I think it has something to do with their central nervous
system or multiple brains or something. The grasshoppers aren’t so lucky
Covered 75.5km of terrain and had a visit @TheMainDish, but unfortunately I
had to take a ‘rain check’ (ha ha) for a meal stop as I had to get back home
before the extra dark clouds were upon me and the sun set. If you’ve never
biked in late fall, it’s pretty cold. When you work hard, you sweat. When
you stop, you start getting cold and this brings on the risk of
hypothermia…don’t want to get a chill and get sick either especially
before the big trip. Will have to go see my Naturopath Dr. Trevor Hoffman
@ParadigmHealth for a vitamin intravenous to assist my immune system in
having all the vitamin and minerals it needs to be the strongest and best it
can be before we set wheels towards the mountains in 12 days!

Stay tuned!

–
Christina Nathalie Smith
2002 Olympian Bobsleigh Pioneer
CTV 2010 Olympic Consortium Analyst Women’s Bobsleigh Racing
President Olympians Canada Alberta Chapter
Motivational Speaker / Author
www.pushstart.org
(403) 589-SLED (7533)

R4R Celebrates end of 40 day tour with Red Carpet Gala

The Ride for Red celebrates with their closing red carpet Gala in Santa Monica, on November 6th.

After fourty long hard days of cycling the Ride for Red team celebrates their arrival and hard work with a red carpet gala in Santa Monica.  Celebrities and Dignitaries attend.  More photos in Gallery!

HELLO FROM YOUR CYCLIST….

Written by Christina Smith

Thursday, 21 October 2010 16:13

This trip has been one big adventure after another. I still can’t fathom the distance that I have done on a bicycle! It’s really overwhelming if I really think about it! Long days of riding have not been hard after all once your mind is set that that is the way you’re going to do it in order to raise awareness for a great cause being The Red Cross. A pleasant surprise to say the least as non of us have ever done more than a 102 kms in one day in a week let alone over several days! We have our faithful Ha’RV’ey the RV who has gotten us so far from A to B and some. We only had to connect a lose hose in Kelowna, BC and change a flat tire today in Coos Bay, Oregon. I’ve had only one flat (touch wood) and Shannon has had 4 (3 in one day) which I am proud to say I changed one on my own, but with immense comic relief for all to see!

We’ve enjoyed the Oregon Coast immensely since crossing into the US. The scenery has been epic and weather has been beautiful….until yesterday once we climbed in altitude where cold awaited us (9.5C plus wind chill as we created a breeze while biking). The climbs reminded us of some of the Okanagan connector on the Coquihalla….times we will never forget that have prepared us for any hill on our journey. I have had a minor crash, but significant enough to have cracked my helmet, left me with partial sprained hands, road rash on the left side of my body and an injured left thumb which i was a big baby about, earlier on in the trip through British Columbia (day 6). Today I also head butt a bee which practically stopped me dead in my tracks once he bit me. I stopped our support vehicle to get my tweezers in order to remove the stinger which I noticed still had part of his backside attached. I never knew such a small prick could hurt so much (on your face)!Needless to say a big baby again!

The 4 of us camped last night all in the camper as the RV park didn’t have spots for tents. We watched our first in RV movie and slept like one big happy family. Shannon and I sharing the top bunk and each of the boys on their makeshift beds. The team dynamic is exceptional! We eat all our meals together, help out each other in all aspects of daily living and start and end the day with hugs to one another. Each of us come with our own stories, humor and open mind for adventure! Mike Orthner being our documentary producer and head photographer from Vancouver, BC; Travis Johnson being our RV driver, Survivor Show Challenge Creator/Designer specialist and Skeleton slider who recognized me in Golden, BC (day 3) at a food store the day he had come back from Nicaragua. Small world! Shannon Lynn, our 2009 Miss Canada Beauty Queen who I I had met at a Big Brothers/Big Sisters charity weekend that Henry Burris, Quarterback from the Calgary Stampers hosted. We also shared a Pandora bracelet which was made (only two of a kind) from the company and presented to us on unique occasions… which we discovered on our first visionary (Ride for Red) meeting. And I, as you already know am the Olympian who has pioneered the sport of Bobsleigh and now with her cycling partner and team is pioneering this incredible fundraising journey from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to Santa Monica, California, USA to raise funds for both the Canadian and American Red Cross while creating awareness, education and motivation along the way! Our school visits have been a highlight, as well as our media exposure as we know word of mouth is our biggest form of advertising, along with our social media aids. Our numerous sponsors have been of great importance to us and have assisted immensely along the way. Our key sponsor has been Specialized for our bike and kit; food from The Main Dish and Safeway; Kersten Kloss from RefreshedIT for technical support; and our daily motivation and weekly radio interviews with Jungle Jim Hunter.

The troops are awake now so I must start getting ready. Time to pack up camp and get rolling. I’ll keep safe and will send updates soon.

Love and Smiles,

Excerpt from: Loving the Bike

Thank you Darryl for your wonderful post.