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Go By Bike Champions announced

Rotary Sunrise Club of Cranbrook announces team champions for recent GoByBike Week in Cranbrook.
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Shelby Lehmann, Lynnette Wray and George Freitag with the Gran Team Champion trophy. Shelby rode over 70 km per day for more than 500km to help her Elizabeth Lake Lodge team ride to victory. (Submitted file)

The Rotary Sunrise Club of Cranbrook has announced the team champions for this spring’s GoByBike Week in Cranbrook.

Out of a whopping 75 registered teams, three were crowned champions, says Sunrise Rotary. The Piccolo Team Champion is Ground Floor Coworking Space, with The Paw Shop in second place. EKC Riders received the Medio Team Trophy, just edging out the City Cycling Squad, and the Gran Team Champions are Elizabeth Lake Lodge.

This year, Sunrise Rotary set an optimistic goal of 500 riders, and that goal was far surpassed with 1,181 riders participating. They totalled 10,847 trips for an incredible total of 47,130 kilometres, said Sunrise Rotary. This equated to a total of 1,413,900 calories burned and 10,218 kilograms of green house gas emissions saved.

Sunrise Rotary explained that the large response in Cranbrook teams allowed for three new categories to be created, for small, medium and large teams.

READ MORE: Cranbrook students break records in 2021 GoByBike week

George Freitag, Team Captain for Elizabeth Lake Lodge explained that some of their riders hopped on a bike for the first time in 20 years.

“When it comes to biking skill level, the Elizabeth Lake Lodge staff is very diverse. Three of our staff borrowed bikes and put on kilometers for the first time in 20 years,” said Freitag. “One of our staff members works certain hours so she can train for the Penticton Ironman, however this common goal was a wonderful group effort that we all contributed to. The residual effect is that we all will be spending more time on our bikes this year because of GoByBike week.”

This realization fit perfectly with GoByBike BC’s provincial goal, says Sunrise Rotary, with GoByBike envisioning a future in which as many people as possible experience the joy of using bicycles for everyday transportation.

“Cranbrook is saddling up more each year and doing its part to help BC pedal forward toward that goal,” said Sunrise Rotary. “Continual improvements to the City’s cycling infrastructure is also going a long way to help create a safer community for cycling.”

GoByBike and Sunrise Rotary thanked all of the participating teams, cyclists, sponsors, supporters, students, school staff, parents and volunteers for creating a fantastic spring GoByBike week.

A second event will take place in the fall, from September 27th to October 10th.



corey.bullock@cranbrooktownsman.com

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Back row – Shelby Lehmann and Alex McLeod Front row from left – Liam Thompson, Deidre Rundberg, Amanda Thompson, Lochlann Freitag, Elizabeth McLeod, Paul Freitag, Tricia McLeod, Rachel Freitag, George Freitag, Lynnette Wray - Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary President Not pictured – Alyssa Williams, Anika Fleming, Rob Crowder, Mike Kosof, Carson Damm, Becky Lockhart, Daryl Calder, Michelle Freitag, Thomas Gilhooly, Brian McMahon, Michael McMahon Shelby (Submitted file)
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Medio Team Champions – EKC RIDERS Lynnette Wray – Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary President presenting the trophy to Tanya Hansen (left) from the East Kootenay Community Credit Union (Submitted file)


Corey Bullock

About the Author: Corey Bullock

Corey Bullock is a multimedia journalist and writer who grew up in Burlington, Ontario.
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