Like many people in Canada and around the world, Francis Paradis saw on the news what happened in Tumbler Ridge on February 10.
And like many people, the story touched him deeply. One of the aspects that both touched and inspired Paradis was the story of Maya (who has vastly improved over the last month or so).
But unlike most, Paradis decided to do something about it.
“I am a huge cyclist,” he says. “I bike about 15 to 18,000 km every year, either virtually or on the roads. So in mid-March I thought ‘why not doon my own cycling challenge for Maya?’”
At the time, says Paradis—who goes by Francis Par on Facebook—his thoughts were to bike solo from Winnipeg to Vancouver. “As I talked to Maya’s family, it was suggested: why not giving the option of other people to join me? So this is where the Maya Cycling of Hope Challenge came from.”
As he started to plan the ride, though, he decided that biking from Winnipeg to Vancouver was too much a challenge. Not in the biking, but in the logistics. “The laws and everything between each province are quite a bit different. After a week after analyzing everything, I realized that it would be very difficult. But it came into my mind: why not start from Tumbler Ridge instead?”
While it is a shorter bike ride (1,283 km, vs 2,300 km), Paradis says it makes much more sense, especially with not having to cross any provincial boundaries.
The plan is to set out July 1, 2027 from Tumbler Ridge, arriving in Vancouver two weeks later.
“I want to do this for Maya, because when this happened, I wondered: ‘What can I do?’ But my only superpower is being a cyclist.”
He says, while Maya is getting better, she’ll probably be in rehabilitation for the next few years, and this will help raise awareness for her and for what happened. “I think it is the best way to honor Maya and everything she’s going through.”
Paradis is from Quebec, which is making it more difficult to organize the challenge. “When you organize a huge cycling challenge like this, it takes about 12 months to organize, so that’s why I started it in June 2026 for July 2027, so I would have plenty of time to attract cyclists, to attract sponsors and to get enough people involved. Right now I have between 10 and 15 cyclists. But it’s far away for many of them.”
He expects to have more people join in over the next few months, but he doesn’t know how many people to expect.
Right now, he says, what he really needs are sponsors. “I have a partnership and one sponsors so far. I am still looking for local organizations in Tumbler Ridge to help out with a special event there on July 1, 2027. It would be nice if local business from Tumbler Ridge and area can get involved in this to create a wonderful and memorable event for Maya and family.”
More than just riding across BC, Paradis says it is a tribute to Maya. “It is our way of turning our love for Maya into concrete action, creating a movement of solidarity that goes far beyond words. Every pedal stroke, every steep climb, and every breath taken on the road is dedicated directly to Maya’s battle, her recovery, and her light.”
How can people get involved? He says the most important thing will be safety on the roads. “We are looking for safety cars that will follow the cyclists from point A to point B, day after day.”
They are also looking for funding to cover the insurance. “That’s why we are looking for sponsors, as they will give us money to purchase insurance and to create signage to put along the road to make sure motorists knows we are on the road.”
He says he’s talked to an insurance company and insurance for an event like this can run from ten to 15 thousand. “Once you have five cyclists participating, you need insurance. It’s mandatory in BC. Some other provinces in Canada don’t have these rules, but BC does.”
Paradis says the perfect sized group would be from five to ten cyclists, though he expects that people will join in for part of the ride as they make their way to Vancouver. And he’s hoping that people will join in at the communities they ride through. “I’m hoping, for instance, that on July 1 the local people want to create a small event. I know it’s Canada Day, but create an event to honor Maya and everything that all the people have been going through.”
Paradis says he knows that people might be a little suspicious of him, as he isn’t a Tumbler Ridge local. “People are wondering who is this guy? If I send money, is that safe? I want to people to know that everything I do is with family behind me.”
That means the donation link on his website (www.mayacyclingofhopechallenge.com) goes directly to the official GoFundMe page for Maya. Sponsors that want to get involved don’t have to donate funds yet; instead, Paradis will wait until the event is fully funded before collecting the funds. “It’s a question of security and to make sure people are feeling safe about this event. People will ask if its a scam or something? Absolutely not. If I’m able to do it, I will do it, depending on the sponsors we do have. It doesn’t take, a lot of money outside the insurance part safety on the road.”
Paradis is planning on coming to BC and scouting the route this fall. If you are interested in volunteering or participating in the event, contact him by email: Francis.134@yahoo.com.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
