British cyclist making her way across Canada

British cyclist making her way across Canada

Mark Ribble

Leamington Post

Tana Silverland's journey began in June 2010 when she left Whitehorse, Yukon on her recumbent trike she fondly calls 'Ranger'.

Since then, she has covered thousands of kilometers on hundreds of Canadian roads and highways and made a stop in Leamington early last week.

Silverland is riding from coast-to-coast, stopping in as many communities as she can to raise awareness about SOS Children's Village, a charity close to her heart.

And to top it off, she is doing it all by herself. No support team following behind her in a van. No media vehicle chronicalling her journey. Just her and her bike.

To understand Silverland's quest, you will have to understand her passion for the charity and why she thinks SOS Children's Village is worthy of a trip across this vast country of ours.

Originally from the U.K., Silverland spent time volunteering in the SOS office in her hometown and she became so enamoured with the way they conduct their charity, she decided it would be a great cause to cycle for.

Keep in mind that she had no cycling background and she didn't live in Canada.

"I was so impressed by the family atmosphere of SOS that I wanted to help in any way I could," she said.

SOS has been established in Canada for over 40 years and few people know about its existence.

That's something that Silverland hopes to change.

"My main focus will be talking to as many people in as many communities as I can," she said.

The map of her route is somewhat erratic looking but she says it was designed that way.

"I do a lot of back and forth so I can reach the communities I want to reach," she said.

Her trek brought her to Leamington last week where she was put up by a host family here while her trike got some much needed TLC.

"The family in Leamington, as with all the communities, has been fantastic," she said.

She relies solely on the goodness of others in her quest, as she is able to arrange a host family for each community where she spends the night. She's been fortunate to find someone in each community that will house her and feed her and that's the way she planned it.

"I want to emulate the plight of the children who may not know where their next meal is coming from," she said.

Silverland states that she was fortunate enough to grow up in a loving family and that makes her that much more motivated to help the kids of the SOS charity.

Her journey has taken her through mountains, prairies, heat and cold.

"A strong headwind with torrential rain is the worst," she said.

She made the trip to the tip of the Canadian mainland at Point Pelee and then was off toward Tilbury as the day progressed into twilight.

She will eventually reach the east coast and then double back to Ottawa, where she plans on ending her trip next fall.

It will have been two-and-a-half years since she began her trek.

And through it all, her faith in the Canadian people stays strong.

"The Canadian people have been incredibly kind," she said.