My BHAG

My 2013 goal to cycle from one end of Highway 93 to the other – Wickenburg Arizona to Jasper Alberta; and raise $93,000.00 for the MS Society has officially been accomplished, in fact slightly over accomplished. The end result was over $96,000.00 and I added a few other smaller bike adventures as well.

Everyone keeps telling me I was crazy for riding Route 93 across 4 states and 2 provinces unsupported, cycling numerous 9 hour days in 104 degree temperatures, camping in snake invested deserts, cycling for miles on a major truck route with a 6 inch shoulder, riding through hours of torrential down pour, lightning and thunder, crawling and swimming over a kilometer through 6 foot deep seemingly bottomless snow pack to sleep in a wet sleeping bag in a rat infested cabin and finally after 23 days and over 2800 km arriving home at the Jasper Brew Pub and chugging numerous Mile Zero IPA’s!

MacKay to Salmon Idaho, long day 120 miles in 12 hours, encountered heavy head winds and rain.

To be honest, maybe it was a bit crazy but to be brutally honest it was a lot of fun. I may be lucky to have survived but looking back I wouldn’t change a thing; well maybe a couple of things. But I had a blast!

My financial goal was exceeded but I don’t feel that my goal to raise massive amounts of awareness for those suffering with Multiple Sclerosis was achieved. Sure I did manage some good media attention and definitely the good folks in my home town are engaged but I still feel the need to reach out to a much bigger audience. I feel the need for another adventure, something that satisfies my passion for cycling and my adventurous spirit but at the same time something a little different, something more challenging, something that will make people pay attention to my mission.
To be a leader in funding a cure for multiple sclerosis and to raise awareness and hope for people affected by MS.

Last March my friend and past Tour de France champion Alex Stieda introduced me to a cool acronym ‘BAHG’ which stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Essential it is a phrase used in the motivational business world but can be applied anywhere in life where people aspire to greatness.

A Big Hairy Audacious Goal is a goal which indicates the willingness of one to take surprisingly bold risks; it’s likely to be externally questionable, but not internally regarded as impossible, and may lead others to have the belief that the goal setter is crazy. Check out Alex’s BHAG here: http://stiedacycling.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/surprise-yourself-with-a-bhag-big-hairy-audacious-goal/

For 2014 I have my own BHAG, as always my objective is to raise at least $93,000.00 and to raise massive amounts of awareness for all people affected by MS.

My ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goal’ is to cycle Highway 16 from end to end, (Highway 16 is the other road going through Jasper) That’s 3000 km from Masset Haida Gwaii to Winnipeg Manitoba, not so bad?

But in order to make it fit the ‘BHAG’ requirements I plan to undertake this next adventure on a Fat Bike in the winter.

What do you think?