Why?

My beautiful daughter died from CF in March 2010 and I am riding in GearUp4CF this year in her memory.

Eva was a fighter and inspiration to all that knew her. In 2008 I rode in GearUp4CF to celebrate her successful recovery from a double lung transplant that allowed Eva to once again live her life to the fullest. Only months after the surgery, she joined the team in Invermere, painting our faces and cheering us on with her pom-poms in her self-appointed role as chief cheerleader.

This year I will be 65 years old on the ride. That is why I am calling this ride 65 for65Roses; partly because of my age, partly because 65 Roses is a malapropism of Cystic Fibrosis, partly because my daughter’s blog was called 65 RedRoses, and also because I hope to reach the very lofty goal of raising $65,000.

Training to ride for 1200 km over multiple mountain passes to Banff will be very difficult; raising these funds will be just as much of a challenge. Here is where I need your help. Please donate to my ride and help contribute to Eva’s legacy to raise critical funds for CF research and awareness.

Monday 31 March 2014

City TV ( Channel 213) April 1, at 7:40 am.

 
GearUp4CF 9-day Rider @BillMarkvoort  is @bt_vancouver 's Athlete of the Week! On @CitytvNews tmrw at 740am @CFCanada
 
 
This was posted by CF West. For those who are not tweeters, City TV approached me last week about a story on my 65for65Roses campaign and the results will be aired tomorrow at around 7:40 am. (Channel 13 or 213) . The segment is called AOTW of "Athlete of the Week". I have never been athlete of the day or hour or even minute so this was not a hard sell. Let me know what you think.

Sunday 30 March 2014

A Big Thank You

The last few days have been incredible. The 65for 65Roses campaign received a huge boost as it was covered extensively in both our community newspapers. We have now received over $11,000 in donations much of it this last week. Donations came from family, friends, neighbours, hockey and cycling buddies, Eva's friends both real and virtual and many, many donors who I simply don't know. I know that many donated in honour of Eva's 4th anniversary since her death, so for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been a roller coaster few days and yet your support both emotional and financial has been a balm to my soul. Thank you again!






I've added a photo from our 2008 trip.

Thursday 27 March 2014

A Tough Day

Most of my posts have been about training, rotten weather and the like but today is an especially tough day for different reasons. Four years ago today, on a Saturday morning my precious daughter died. Eva had the ability to take your breath away with her vivacity , her red hair and her enthusiasm but now she simply could not take another breath. We continue to breathe life into her legacy.




Missing you tons, especially today!

Love Dad

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Wow. My amazing wife Janet sent out some emails in the community and next thing you know we have TWO articles in the local community papers. Thank you so much to the Royal City Record and the New Westminster Newsleader for sharing my story. Eva's legacy lives on.




Riding for their rose: Janet Brine, left, and her husband Bill Markvoort are fundraising for the GearUp4CF ride from Vancouver to Banff in memory of their daughter Eva. This month is a significant one for the family. Eva’s birthday is March 31, and she passed away four years ago on March 27.   Photograph by: Larry Wright/THE RECORD 

Saturday 22 March 2014

10% Milestone!

Not much to report on the riding front other than a rainy day spin on the trainer downstairs but the good news is that donations are now over $6,500 which means we have achieved over 10% of our goal. Over 40 people have contributed which is quite amazing, including many people  that I do not know personally. To all of you who have made a contribution to the CF cause, thank you so very much. It makes the training worthwhile!

Saturday 15 March 2014

West Coast Rainy Weekend

The weatherman predicted it and although it arrived a few hours late the deluge started by mid day. It was back to the basement and the Keiser spin bike.

Friday 14 March 2014

Accident!


Joan, our GearUp4CF2014 team captain  had a significant accident on Wednesday while cycling in California where she and a friend were on a training trip/holiday. "Stitches in my face and elbow. Torn ligaments in my hand and a broken finger. Cracked ribs. I am a mess but being well taken care off”.

She was attended to quickly  and had an MRI and CTscan,  did not get knocked out and did not suffer a concussion. The accident happened when she was going downhill (not that fast) and hit a small boulder on the road. She is on her way home to Whistler for some rest and recuperation

Not good news at all and a cautionary note to be very careful out there when you are on your bike.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Make rides while the sun shines

I know I should learn to like riding in the rain but I really don't. Particularly in March when it is sub 10 degrees. It's sunny our right now so I will head up for a training session on Burnaby Mountain after work and try to squeeze in an hour or so. Tomorrow and the 5 days beyond call for rain..rain..rain!

Sunday 9 March 2014

A Sunny Sunday!

Finally some reasonable weather after the pineapple deluge yesterday. A great day to ride out in Pitt Meadows with double digit temperatures and some good companions including Howie and Claude. It's always more fun and more of a workout to ride in the real world!

Saturday 8 March 2014

Vancouver wet weather blues

The past two weekends have been miserable for this aspiring trainee. Yes, I could have cycled last Saturday, several of my Velovet members and Joan Swain braved the 3 degree weather before the rain started, but cycling at below 5 Celsius is not one of my favourite activities. So I opted to train on skinny skis instead and on both Saturday and Sunday managed excellent workouts at the Hollyburn cross country trails at Cypress Mountain. Today was even more dismal. Too wet to cycle and too warm to ski. Nothing to do but head into the basement and put in an hour long pull on the Keiser spin bike. Maybe tomorrow the skies will part and the sun come out.

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