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South Surrey 16-year-old cyclist inspired by solo cross-Canada journey

Kindness of strangers ‘gave me the strength to keep going’
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A South Surrey teen who cycled from White Rock to Halifax over the summer says the cross-Canada effort was “a pretty lonely journey.”

“But it was fun,” 16-year-old Jack Zhang told Peace Arch News.

Zhang said the experience was also rewarding – it opened his eyes to the kindness of Canadians and motivated him to challenge himself in a different field.

“Canadians are the nicest people on Earth,” the Semiahmoo Secondary student said Thursday.

“I want to kind of use this momentum of challenging myself to really challenge myself at soccer.”

Zhang, who plays on a high-performance U17 Coastal FC team, said he embarked on his cross-country trek in mid-July, pedalling to Nova Scotia over six weeks.

Setting out solo after a friend had to cancel, Zhang said the first three days of the trek were the toughest. Among other things, they dealt him seven flat tires, leaving him at the foot of Roger’s Pass with no way to ride and no water.

After four unsuccessful hours of trying to hitch a ride, Zhang said he held the rim of his dismantled tire up for passing motorists to see.

“The first car stopped for me and took me to Golden,” he said.

The next act of kindness came when Zhang wanted to pitch his tent for the night, but was told the campsite he stopped at had no room. At that point, the sun was setting and he was again running out of water.

Campers who overheard his dilemma offered to share their site, Zhang said. To his surprise, they also shared their food and water, and when he woke up, he found breakfast and a note of encouragement outside his tent.

“I was so moved. That just gave me the strength to keep going,” he said.

Zhang said his reasons for doing the ride included a desire to take a slower cruise past the scenery his family saw on their drive to relocate to the Semiahmoo Peninsula from Fredericton, N.B., after moving to Canada from China five years ago.

Semi’s annual Terry Fox run was another inspiration, he said, as was a documentary about a cyclist who rode from southeast Asia to Mount Everest.

“My dad was like, ‘if you want to do that, you have to do Canada first,’” Zhang said.

READ MORE: Terry Fox Run at four Surrey sites this Sunday

Zhang said he spent a year preparing for the trip, often making use of long weekends to cycle as far as Princeton or Keremeos.

Soccer helped Zhang discover his love of cycling – due to his dad’s work schedule, he would ride to his soccer practices.

“It felt like freedom to me. I can go… anywhere, everywhere I want, without an adult,” he said.

“That’s why I started cycling further.”

Zhang said another reason for the cross-Canada journey was to help himself get used to being without his twin brother, Ben, who had been accepted into university early.

“We were always together,” he said.

“I was thinking to myself, if he leaves, what will happen to me? So I wanted to get used to it, so it wouldn’t come as a shock to me.

“The first person I talked to about this trip is him,” Zhang added. “It sounded really ludicrous, even to me. He was the one who made me realize it is even possible.”

Other challenges along the way included coyotes on Rogers Pass and heat and insects in Ontario.

The worst, he said – describing the experience as “soul-crushing” – happened just outside of Montreal.

That’s when his luggage cords got caught in his gear, his derailleur snapped off, his bike frame was bent and his chains had twisted, broken links.

The misfortune didn’t end Zhang’s quest, but it did change the rest of his ride. From that point, he made the trip on single-speed.

Home now and well-rested, Zhang said he’s switching gears to focus on soccer and school. He hopes to graduate a year early to “catch up a little” to his brother, and is thinking kinesiology may be a good fit for him.

As for cycling, he said a journey to Alaska – tougher, but shorter – may follow high school.

“I’m doing a little bit of research right now,” he said.

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Contributed photo South Surrey’s Jack Zhang, pedals a lonely road on his summer journey across Canada.
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Jack Zhang said damage to his bike that occurred just outside of Montreal was “soul-crushing.” (Contributed photo) Jack Zhang said damage to his bike that occurred just outside of Montreal was “soul-crushing.” (Contributed photo)


Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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