Philip Clark
- National: 672nd
- Province: 362nd in ON
I'm Riding For
All people who have been touched by Cancer
My Story
This August 2025
Next month, I am riding 555km in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer...
And my challenge starts TOMORROW!
Right now, over 1,700 Canadian children are diagnosed with cancer every year... and 4 children die every week.
Kids should be living life, NOT fighting for it.
Please make a donation and support my 555km challenge to end childhood cancer and save little lives.
https://greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/PhilipClark/a
My Legacy
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1,120 km Ridden$1,451 Raised2018
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1,114 km Ridden$2,535 Raised2019
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1,285 km Ridden$3,253 Raised2021
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1,122 km Ridden$3,027 Raised2022
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887 km Ridden$3,412 Raised2023
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470 km Ridden$2,247 Raised2024
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490 km Ridden$2,277 Raised2025
My Challenge
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45.4 km ride - Thursday, August 28, 2025
Logged this ride 24 hours ago -
The day of the Monarch Butterfly
28 Aug 2025Today I felt blessed to see so many Monarch Butterflies.
In late August, the Monarchs are emerging from their cocoons and beginning their migration south to Mexico.
The Monarchs fly thousands of kilometres on their trip to Mexico, makes my biking goal of 550 look small ..
( but they aren’t sitting on a bicycle seat )
I thought today I’d bike a little farther and investigate the Tom Thompson trail.
I’d decided today to stay on the road , no rough trails, lots of hills, and lots of wind !
In saying that I was excited to find this park but it prohibits bikes on the trail.
As I continued southeast I encountered 4 young lads on small dirt bikes and it took me back to my youth.
My friends and I all had mini bikes, we never wore helmets back then and we’d ride the backroads like we owned them.
I wanted to stop the young lads and tell them to enjoy every moment of this day the ride , the friendships they shared
That they were living their best lives at this moment.
As I pedalled on I started appreciating the amazing views from this elevation the valleys the cloud filled sky with Georgian Bay in the background, it was spectacular!!
By the time I found the next part of the trail my battery had dropped a bar and I still needed to ride back home .
When my battery dies it’s like pedalling an elephant so I don’t want to be far from home if that happens;)
Pretty happy I made it home before my bike died completely and just shy of 60 kms…
Posted 2 days ago -
58.7 km ride - Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Logged this ride 2 days ago -
Feels like a Fall day!!
26 Aug 2025Windy and cool out there today.
After some wet cool weather we’re reminded that summer is coming to an end.
Beautiful fall is just around the corner!
I’ve been riding around Balaclava this year and have noticed an older farmer .
I’ve been observing him over the last 3 weeks as he watches his fields now being cut and baled by a hired hand.
It could be his son , or grandson that is doing all the heavy lifting.
Now all the heavy lifting is done by a machine.
At the corner in Balaclava there’s a building, most of the roof has collapsed except for the front it still has the roof intact.
Today while I was riding the door was open and the farmer was in there repairing
something probably for the tractor.
I’m not sure if I’m alone in this but I’ve created a story in my mind about this man and his life here in Balaclava.
I wonder how he feels about all the million dollar houses being built in his neighbourhood .
If he ever decided to sell all his farm land he could be driving expensive cars and living in a big mansion on the water but I think he’s happier puttering around in this rundown building .
It’s raining a bit when I pass him again and he’s sitting inside his old Impala and he waves .
I wonder if he makes stories up in his head ,about me, drawing conclusions like I have about his life ;)
Changing gears , and stories here ..
I came across another biker , riding a road bike or race bike , just at the bridge in Leith .
I passed him and was averaging 31km, he was keeping’s up with me and eventually passed me.
My bike won’t go any faster than 32 , no matter how hard I pedal .
So I passed him again and then after awhile we have a little friendly chat as we biked together.
When you bike alone you appreciate a wave , and a bit of a chat goes a long ways..
Posted 3 days ago -
48.0 km ride - Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Logged this ride 3 days ago -
The Path less travelled
24 Aug 2025I’ve been wanting to explore this path , that I’ve been riding past and today was the day.
While driving by there always seems to be cars at this location so I knew it was something special.
I went in a less travelled path , a little overgrown for biking but I’ll know better the next time.
After finding the main path it was a nice mix of forest with expansive bay views and now I know why there are always cars parked here .
Lots of boats on the bay with the Salmon Spectacular in full swing.
Passed a couple of bikers on a large hill north of Robinson subdivision, and the one lady yelled maybe throw me a rope but we were almost at the top ..lol
Posted 6 days ago -
47.1 km ride - Saturday, August 23, 2025
Logged this ride 6 days ago -
Madi and I ride , together for another Year
23 Aug 2025We headed for Oliphant this morning, one of my favourite places to ride and the first time back ( riding my bike ) since moving to Owen Sound.
It’s still shocking to see the water levels so low..
We were having a little break at the dock when one of Madi’s classmates recognized her .. the young lady was there with a group attending a horse camp.
The kids were jumping off the dock while the horses were being unloaded from the trailer.
We’re taking the horses swimming Madi’s classmate told us ..
I thought to myself what a cool camp , imagine riding a swimming horse.
We rode North after our break , visiting a friend and received a donation promise .
On our return the horses were galloping along the shore of Oliphant beach, and in the picture of Madi you can see horses in the background.
Madi has been asking for awhile are we there yet , similar to being in a car on a trip. ( Are we there Yet ? )
When riding a bike it’s different, it’s not as comfortable as sitting in a car being bored.
It’s hot , you’re uncomfortable, parts of your body are retaliating against your journey.
Madi is riding a single speed bike, she’s grown so the seat is too low making it challenging to ride .
I have to change her focus, so we start talking about ice cream.
What’s you’re favourite kind of ice cream, what size do you want and before we know it we’re back at the truck .
If your in Sauble Beach and you want lots of choice’s for ice cream and a healthy portion size go to the Trading Post
Address ( 13 22nd St South, Sauble Beach)
Congratulations Madi, on your longest ride and look forward to riding with you again.
Grandpa
( Sorry Madi, looks like your heads cut off in the picture)
Posted 7 days ago -
22.4 km ride - Friday, August 22, 2025
Logged this ride 7 days ago -
The Marsh
20 Aug 2025Lots of wetlands between Ben Allen & Shallow Lake
Posted 9 days ago -
A different direction !!
20 Aug 2025Yesterday it rained all day and I’d been away up North for a wedding so I needed to ride today.
Overcast and perfect weather for riding today .
I thought I’d take a different route today so I headed South towards town and west to Shallow Lake on the rail trail .
I hadn’t ridden it since last year when my granddaughter Madi rode it with me.
Pretty quiet ride , a few cyclists, a couple ATV’s , and some pedestrians.
The trail is pretty good, from Owen Sound to Shallow Lake, the last few kilometres are the roughest.
Saw a dozen Great Egrets ( White Heron ) and a couple of paint turtles in the marsh area between Ben Allen and Shallow Lake.
I thought of stopping for ice cream at Shallow Lake, they have great ice cream at the General Store and they give lots of ice cream.
A deep bog hole changed my plans, no I didn’t fall in it but I did get my feet wet and my bike dirty ( bike was pretty dirty already )
On my ride in to Shallow Lake I noticed a tree down on the trail and decided I’d remove what I could on my return trip.
The trail was passable with a bike but it would be tricky for a ATV so I thought I’d try..
I broke a few of the smaller branches but the centre branch wasn’t as easy .
The tree started to bend as I put some brute strength into it and then it snapped leaving me on the ground again ..
Before hitting the ground the branches I’d broken earlier slowed my fall down as they jabbed me in the back…
I just lay there for a minute wondering how bad am I injured .
I kept running my hands down my back to see if there was blood and thankfully they were just scrapes and not deep wounds.
Lucky day,
I’m grateful for another great ride .
Posted 9 days ago -
41.8 km ride - Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Logged this ride 9 days ago -
38.9 km ride - Monday, August 18, 2025
Logged this ride 11 days ago -
$1,000 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $1,000 to fight kids' cancer and achieved WARRIOR LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 16 days ago -
$500 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $500 to fight kids' cancer and achieved GUARDIAN LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 16 days ago -
$250 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $250 to fight kids' cancer and achieved PROTECTOR LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 16 days ago -
New Roads
11 Aug 2025She was another warm one out there .
The only one I talked to was this Snapping Turtle and she wasn’t saying much of anything..
The roads were quiet and the shade trees along the way offered some relief.
Normally I ride alone, but I don’t mind .
gives me a chance to be grateful for many people in my life and my good fortune to be born here in Canada.
Feeling blessed
Posted 18 days ago -
47.3 km ride - Monday, August 11, 2025
Logged this ride 18 days ago -
Back in the saddle
5 Aug 2025Third ride of the campaign.
Hot day , but a nice breeze and the bike seat isn’t getting any softer ..
Good news, didn’t fall off my bike today but almost got knocked off in the most unusual circumstance.
I was riding down a rough road, heavy gravel , like a farm road where you might encounter a tractor maybe an ATV .
Anyway, I’m riding along, sometimes in the middle of the road sometimes on the side wherever the smoothest path is that’s where I’m riding..
Luckily I’m riding on the right when a truck passes me at 25 -30 miles an hour.. I didn’t see him or hear him until he was right beside me.. I didn’t call him some choice names that I’d better not repeat here .. WHO does this ??
He’s kicking up a real dust like a prairie dust storm..
Anyway, I survived and found a beautiful spot to take a picture and hydrate.
Posted 24 days ago -
44.7 km ride - Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Logged this ride 24 days ago -
$100 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $100 to fight kids' cancer and achieved DEFENDER LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 25 days ago -
Day 2 didn’t fall off my bike today
3 Aug 2025Day 2 , saddle sores , ouch , but had a great ride despite the uncomfortable pain.
Visited the location of our very first date and tomorrow is our 12th anniversary so it was timely.
Posted 27 days ago -
45.6 km ride - Saturday, August 2, 2025
Logged this ride 27 days ago -
First Day of the Ride
1 Aug 2025Beautiful day to start the ride !
I thought it started yesterday, that what happens you lose track of time days , months.
Had my first fall yesterday ( my practice day) going up hill , I’m glad I didn’t fall going down this hill it would have hurt a lot more;)
Today I thought I’d ride the Tom Thompson trail over to Meaford there is a few rough spots on the trail but there is alternate trails on the road but I chose the rough path.
Guess what, I fell again going up hill so I didn’t make it to Meaford today.
Had a great ride and saw some country I’d never seen before so that’s always fun.
I sure appreciate bike shorts the extra padding definitely helps the saddle sores
What’s the weight lifters line
“ No pain no gain “
Posted 28 days ago -
50.6 km ride - Friday, August 1, 2025
Logged this ride 28 days ago
My Sponsors
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Kick Cancer's Butt Day matched donation
“Here's your matched donation made possible by the generosity of long-time SickKids Foundation supporters, the Garron family. THANK YOU so much for your awesome efforts to kick cancer's butt!”
$771.69Received this donation 15 days ago
Philip
“On behalf of all us riders and our generous families friends , and supporters. A huge shout out and Thank You to the Garron family we are so fortunate to have you on TheGreatCycleChallenge Team”
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Michael Stewart
“Great job Phil.”
$124.20Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Mike for your generosity for another year. We really appreciate your support for the ride. I miss the trails at Sauble, many fond memories . Thank You again for the support”
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Bonnie Hutchinson
$103.50Received this donation 15 days ago
Philip
“Thank You so much Bonnie for your generous donation and support for TheGreatCycleChallenge. We really appreciate it and it goes along way in helping kids fighting cancer.”
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Elizabeth Clark
“So very proud of you and your annual effort to support such a great cause. Keep up the ride!!!”
$103.50Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Elizabeth for supporting TheGreatCycleChallenge for another year .. Sometimes my rides and times affect what we’re doing but you’ve always supported my efforts and it is encouraging to know you always have my back ..”
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Heather Gardiner
“Great job, Phil!”
$103.50Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Heather your support for another year is greatly appreciated. Great timing on the double day as well.Together we are making a difference!!”
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LYNN Beaton
“Keep on riding”
$77.63Received this donation 25 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Lynn , I really appreciate your support for another year of TheGreatCycleChallenge. I’m so lucky to be able to ride and with the help of friends like you and family make a difference for the kids fighting cancer.”
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Joyce McIntosh
“Keep riding Phil, happy to support TheGreatCycleChallenge for another year”
$75Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Joyce , we have enjoyed so many wonderful trips on bikes . My personal favourite in Holland, so it’s pretty rewarding to bike with a purpose and support kids fighting cancer, Thank You for supporting for another year”
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BOB Wilkie
$72.45Received this donation 24 days ago
Philip
“Thank You my friend, I appreciate your support for another year. Next time I’m at the Beach I’ll be sure to pop in .. thanks again my friend”
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Brian Hepburn
“Keep up the great work Phil”
$72.45Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Brian , I really appreciate your support for another year.. your awesome my friend”
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Cathy McCoy
“Way to go, Phil!”
$72.45Received this donation 13 days ago
Philip
“Thank You for supporting TheGreatCycleChallenge for another year Cathy it is very much appreciated. I really have to focus on riding my biked instead of driving my Miata . . Ken would understand ;)”
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Jason Clark
“Way to go dad!!!”
$51.75Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Hey Jay, Thank You are you guys just getting home. It was so great to see you guys I can’t believe how much the kids have grown. You may have some riders next year”
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Kathy Quinn
“Happy cycling Phil! Glad to sponsor you!”
$51.75Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You so much Kathy for supporting TheGreatCycleChallenge for another year. One of my supporters questioned how much of the money went to the cause and my research shows that almost all of the funds raised go directly to help kids .. I think it was 90% or higher many volunteers make it possible so that’s pretty amazing.!”
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Styn Furness
“You are a great sport to be riding for a wonderful cause. I wish you all the best.”
$51.75Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Styn, we’ve had some wonderful rides and bike trips together. Biking for a purpose in TheGreatCycleChallenge is very rewarding and having your support means a lot”
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Adam Clark
“Keep being awesome Dad! Madi is looking forward to riding with you soon!”
$50Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Adam for your support for another year . You and Meg must be so very proud of Madi as she continues to help and grow as a giving human being.”
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Bette Mcmillan
“So happy to support TheGreatCycleChallenge Ride Phil ride”
$50Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Bette , we sure do appreciate your support. I lost your information and reached out to Jeff. I will email you the tax receipt but it does have my address ( I don’t think it should matter) I forwarded the information to my granddaughter ( Meg / daughter in law) so she sent the receipt to your correct email. Thanks again Bette , sorry we missed you! !”
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Cheryl Lyons
“Thank you for riding for this cause. You got this!”
$50Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Cheryl, for supporting the greatcyclechallenge and kids fighting cancer. I’m proud to be part of this movement and together we are making a difference.”
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Tracy Grant
“Ride Phil and happy to support TheGreatCycleChallenge for kids fighting cancer”
$40Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Tracy , very much appreciate your support for TheGreatCycleChallenge. It’s a great organization and together we are making a difference.”
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Brenda Larsen
“It's so great you do this every year. So happy to give for this great cause”
$36.23Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Brenda , I really appreciate your support for another year. I’m sorry we missed seeing you and Melissa this year”
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Cheryl Lyn Morrison
“AWESOME Phil, keep those pedals rotating.”
$36.23Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Cheryl I appreciate your support for another year I wasn’t sure my message would find you .. but I’m glad it did ;)”
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Debbie Keeling
$36.23Received this donation 16 days ago
Philip
“Thank You Deb, I really appreciate your support for another year. We really missed you guys at the Big surprise birthday party”