Cross-Canada bike trip supports youth mental health

Rich Eyram with Todd and Audrey Wensink in Gull Lake.

Maple Creek News

Husband and wife duo Rich and Pam Eyram, on a cross-country trek to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health, have passed through the area.

While in Gull Lake, they met Maple Creek couple Todd and Audrey Wensink, and posed for a photograph with them.

Their stops also included Lethbridge, Bow Island, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw and Weyburn.

Rich is completing the 7,700-kilometre distance on a bicycle, while Pam is travelling in a converted Sprinter campervan nicknamed Hilde, shortened from Hildegard, an ancient name combining the strength of battle and enclosure.

The plan is for Rich to ride each day on his gravel bike, setting off early each morning averaging 125km per day.

They started out from Vancouver on May 31 and aim to arrive in Halifax on September 8. Their 75-day journey will take in ten provinces between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

The couple’s goal is to raise $100,000 for Kids Help Phone (KHP), which offers young people free, private support in English and French through phone and Live Chat counselling services.

What inspired them to support this cause?

The couple recently retired and say they are beginning a new chapter guided by their motto: Live A Great Story.

Rich was a technology executive for 30 years, retiring from an executive position at EcoVadis, the world’s largest sustainability intelligence platform. His new focus is on ensuring young people in Canadian communities have the mental health resources they need.

Pam was a social worker with 20-plus years of experience working with children. Her primary focus has been raising a family while helping groups for children and families experiencing change and crisis. During COVID-19, she trained as a volunteer Crisis Responder on the Kids Help Phone text line, with nearly 500 hours logged.

According to the couple’s site, Live A Great Story, youth mental health in Canada has declined sharply over the past decade, especially post-pandemic. Less than 50 per cent of young Canadians describe their mental health as “very good”.

“On a deeply personal level, our own friend and family community network has been challenged by this mental health crisis. In our own circle, we know dozens of people who have struggled with serious mental health challenges in these post-pandemic years, including three who died by suicide. This ride is our call to action. Every kilometre along the road brings us closer to the next community. Every stop is an awareness moment. Every donation keeps Kids Help Phone available – for free – for every young Canadian who needs it most.”

Kids Help Phone, which has more than 1,500 volunteers, is described as Canada’s lifeline for youth. Since 1989, it has been the country’s only free, 24/7, multilingual and confidential mental health service for youth coast to coast to coast.

•  You can follow Rich and Pam Eyram’s journey on Instagram @LiveAGreatStory.ca, Facebook (Richard Eyram), LinkedIn (Rich Eyram), and Strava (Richard Eyram). Go to liveagreatstory.ca to donate to Kids Help Phone.