Every Mile Matters
Riding the Great Divide to Support the Fight Against Cancer
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the people in my life who’ve faced cancer, it’s this: you don’t have to be the strongest person in the room to make a difference. You just have to show up.
This summer, I’m showing up the best way I know how. On a bike.
A Dream Ride With a Purpose
The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route has been on my bucket list for years. It’s a 2,700 mile trail along the spine of the Continental Divide, from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, winding through the Canadian Rockies, across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and into the desert Southwest. It’s one of those rides you dream about and wonder if you’ll ever actually get the chance to do.
This year, thanks to the incredible support of my company, Virtual Guardian, that chance is here. They’re giving me two months to take on this ride, and I’m grateful for a company that believes in supporting its people in pursuing something meaningful.
I believe in making the best of the opportunities you’re given. So when this door opened, I knew I didn’t just want to ride for myself. I wanted to ride for something bigger. That’s why every mile of this journey is dedicated to raising funds for the American Cancer Society.
The Ride
On June 22, 2026, I’m setting out from Banff, Alberta on the GDMBR, pedaling through some of the most beautiful landscapes in North America. The route crosses mountain passes above 11,000 feet, miles of rugged backcountry terrain, and scenery that changes from towering alpine peaks to wide open high desert. It’s challenging, humbling, and incredibly rewarding.
Riding What the Mountains Give Me
I want to be upfront about something. This spring has brought record low snowpack across the West, and wildfire conditions are already threatening parts of the route before the ride even begins. The mountains set the terms, not me.
My plan is to ride as far as I safely can. That might be 2,700 miles to Antelope Wells. It might be 1,500 miles to a fire closure in Colorado. And on a ride like this, there’s always the possibility of the unknown: a mechanical issue, an injury, weather, or something nobody saw coming. That’s the nature of the adventure. Either way, every single mile will be ridden with purpose, and every single mile will count toward our goal.
Because this ride was never really about reaching a finish line. It’s about what we accomplish together along the way.
Why I’m Riding
Cancer has been part of my life in ways I wish it hadn’t. I’ve lost friends to this disease, and my family has lost loved ones too. I’ve watched people I care about go through treatment and come out the other side, and I’ve seen the strength of the families and friends who rally around them.
If I’m being honest, a busy career has often kept me on the sidelines during those moments. Life gets in the way, and sometimes you look back and wish you had done more. This ride is my chance to change that. It’s a chance to take the time, put in the effort, and do something meaningful for a cause that has touched so many people I care about.
This ride is for everyone who has faced this fight, who is facing it right now, and for the researchers and caregivers working every day to change the odds. It’s my way of saying: I’m here, and I want to help.
What Your Support Makes Possible
Every dollar raised goes directly to the American Cancer Society, and the work they do is remarkable. Your donation helps fund research that’s leading to better treatments and earlier detection, the kind of breakthroughs that are giving more families more time together. It provides free lodging near treatment centers so patients don’t have to face their hardest days far from comfort. It puts trained specialists on a 24/7 helpline for anyone who needs guidance, answers, or simply someone to listen.
My goal is to raise $25,000. That’s a big number, but when I think about what it represents, rides to chemotherapy appointments, hours of research, families supported during the hardest chapter of their lives, it feels like exactly the right thing to aim for.
How to Be Part of This
There are so many ways to join this journey, and none of them require getting on a bike.
Make a donation. Every gift, no matter the size, moves us closer to the goal. All donations go directly to the American Cancer Society and are tax deductible.
Spread the word. Share this page with someone. Send it to a friend, post it on social media, mention it in conversation. You never know who might be moved to give. Some of the most generous support comes from people who found a link through a friend of a friend.
Follow the ride. You can track my progress in real time on the Live Tracker at billrides.com, read daily journal updates from the trail, and see photos from the road. Leave a comment on a journal post or drop me a note through the site. I’ll catch up on messages whenever I reach a town, and I promise you it will make my day.
Cheer someone on. If this ride reminds you of someone in your life who has faced cancer, reach out to them. A phone call, a note, a visit. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply let someone know they’re not forgotten.
Together
I’ll be the one on the bike, but this is so much bigger than one rider. Every donation is a mile marker. Every share widens the circle. Every message from the trail connects us across whatever distance the mountains put between us.
Whether I make it to Antelope Wells or the wildfires send me home early, the miles I do ride will carry the hope of everyone who’s part of this. And that’s something no fire can take away.
None of this would be possible without the support of my family, especially my wife, Amy, who is holding down everything at home while I’m out chasing mountains for two months. Thank you, Amy!
Let’s make every mile matter.
DONATE NOW
Donate at the American Cancer Society
100% goes directly to the American Cancer Society
With gratitude,
Bill
Bill Rides 