Just Devine: Matt’s cross-Canada trek, Cornwall dessert are inspiring

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When cross-country cyclist Matt Devine arrived in Cornwall late on Tuesday afternoon, he stuck to his daily routine.

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Devine went straight to an ice cream stand on Vincent Massey Boulevard, and enjoyed treats on a picnic table with his small entourage.

“At the end of the day, this is what I want,” said the 56-year-old from Edmonton who’s been sampling ice cream from Halifax to Quebec, and now into eastern Ontario.

It’s hardly his only motivation. Devine is just over a week into his Ride for Change Initiative, cycling over 13,000 kilometres across Canada and then up north, raising funds and awareness for You Can Ride 2, an organization that offers children with disabilities the opportunity to find joy and freedom by reducing barriers to riding a bike.

The ride, perhaps a ground-breaking one in Canada given Devine’s age and ultra-ambitious plan this summer to extend his trip to Whitehorse in the Yukon and to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, could potentially raise upwards of $200,000.

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The experiences along the way? Priceless. Just on Tuesday, before the Montreal to Cornwall leg of the trip, Devine, along with his wife Nicole Devine and friend/fellow cyclist Darcy Haggith, got the heroes’ welcome when they visited Centre Mackay/Phillip E. Layton, an academic environment for children and young adults with physical disabilities, or are deaf, visually impaired or have a communication disorder.

It was an emotional experience for everyone involved, as the kids and guests chatted and cycled together, on adaptor bikes.

“The pure joy these kids have is amazing to see,” Devine said. “They were so excited riding around with us.”

There can be daily tears at visits like that one, before the ice cream. And pain. Devine said that, until early this week, the weather for his odyssey had been horrific, with rain and cold out east, and high winds in Quebec.

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Devine said he’s also hoping to inspire adults during his relatively short trip. His longer journey has seen him overcome obesity, addiction and mental health struggles, and transforming himself to find his purpose in life.

“There are a lot of adults who’d like to make changes, and find a purpose,” he said. “Get off the couch, even if it’s just to do a 10-k. Do it for charity, do it with purpose.”

The cycling trip is not the retired westerner’s first rodeo – in 2022, Devine ran seven marathons in seven days, raising $60,000 for a children’s charity.

For the cross-country trip, Nicole drives the support vehicle and is the event co-ordinator/sounding board for Matt.

“She works just as hard as I do,” he said.

So far, support rider Haggith has worked harder. The owner of Gruppo Nutrition company in Windsor is a friend who has served as Devine’s motivator and navigator, out front and facing those headwinds first. But Haggith will be taking an off-ramp in Toronto, and while Devine will have a few other support riders along the way west, it will be an increasingly-difficult excursion for him.

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Devine thinks he may be attempting something never before done in Canada, and for a few reasons, including he’s a senior now, is travelling east to west and all in the same calendar year, and adding 6,000 kilometres by heading north in British Columbia to the sub-Arctic, then back home to Edmonton.

Not that that matters very much.

“The kids are very special – that’s what’s inspiring,” Devine said. “When we saw the kids today (in Montreal). . . it’s hard to describe.”

There’s a kid in Edmonton with a Cornwall connection that played a big part in inspiring Devine’s latest mega-venture. Kira Atchison, 6, has a rare neurological disorder, and she has some mobility challenges, but the You Can Ride 2 organization got her a bike a specialized bike and taught her how to use it.

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Devine has met Kira in Edmonton, and on Tuesday on a picnic table at the Old Fashioned Ice Cream hut at the Archie’s Family Golf Centre, he visited with Kira’s grandparents, Lynn and Dan Bissonnette, of Cornwall.

YCR2 says many disabled children face barriers when it comes to accessing sports and recreational activities, and that  a bike can be life-changing.

“This organization needs proper funding and resources, and I want to help them so the kids can get what they need,” Devine said.

Devine on Wednesday added to the 1,700 kilometres so far by travelling to Kingston; all of his adventures can be followed on Instagram at @devinetransformation

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