Ride with Athina

Hop on your bike and join Athina Merckx in a free cycling event from February 15th, 2023 to July 9th (i.e. Ride Weekend). You'll challenge yourself to ride your chosen distance at the Okanagan Granfondo in Penticton, BC. The goal is to raise as much as you can and if you raise over $1000, you get a free entry into the event and a commemorative item. At the Okanagan Granfondo event, there will be an Athinas Ride tent where you can claim your swag !

Our goal: to raise money to help find a cure for desmoid tumours. Challenge yourself to the 3rd annual Athina’s Ride with 100% of the proceeds going to the Desmoid Tumour Foundation of Canada (DFC). 

15,736

km logged

Raised so far

$68,703

Our goal

$100,000

Sign up

Sign up and choose your distance goal and set your fundraising goal.

Ride

Get riding and track your kms from February until July to reach your training goal. 

Fundraise

Share your fundraising page on social media and start to raise funds to help find a cure for Desmoid Fibromatosis.

Get connected, track your progress and join our community of awesome sponsors.

Sign up, train and fundraise for a chance to win some amazing prizes from our valued sponsors. We have fun incentives and fundraising prizes for you this year... Check out our Prizes page for more info.

Athina's Story

In February 2019 I noticed some pain in the back of my right knee after swim practice one day. I told my parents and they then noticed a large bump had formed on the back of my knee. I visited our family doctor and at first glance he thought it was likely a Baker’s cyst, but once he felt my leg, he knew that was not the case. I was then sent for an ultrasound, and later a biopsy. The following month doctors diagnosed me with Desmoid Fibromatosis

About Desmoids Tumours

Desmoid tumours, also called aggressive fibromatosis or desmoid-type fibromatosis, are rare and often debilitating and disfiguring soft-tissue tumours. They are characterized by a growth pattern that can invade surrounding healthy tissues, including joints, muscle and viscera.

About DFC

The Desmoid Tumour Foundation of Canada (DFC) is the official Canadian charity for desmoid research.

Updates on Funds Raised (2022)

Our inaugural Athina's Ride in 2021 raised $132,700 to help support research into desmoid tumour therapies. That’s an unprecedented amount for a first-time charitable event and 100% of the proceeds go to the Desmoid Tumour Foundation of Canada (DFC). In year two we raised another $79,435 which makes it over $212,135 going towards research.

  • Gillian Hilton just donated $53.00
  • Jeff Catania just donated $50.00
  • Bill Curtis just donated $159.00
  • Craig White just donated $615.00
  • Anonymous just donated $815.00
  • Anonymous just donated $26.50
  • Jacques Mignault just donated $106.00
  • Lesley Layton just donated $106.00
  • Peter Mario Narduzzi just donated $100.00
  • Peter Mario Narduzzi just donated $100.00
  • Peter Mario Narduzzi just donated $100.00
  • Steven and Rosemary Marsh just donated $515.00
  • Mark Stow just donated $106.00
  • Dean Zizzo and Family just donated $53.00
  • David Zizzo just donated $53.00
  • Rival Plumbing Ltd just donated $106.00
  • Natalie Zizzo and Andrew Lingard just donated $106.00
  • Matt Smith just donated $53.00
  • Nick Smith just donated $53.00
  • Mark & Beverly just donated $200.00

About Athina's Ride

Athina's Ride is a virtual cycling event that starts with training rides on February 15th and culminates on July 9th & 10th with an epic ride where you can achieve the goal you set for yourself. Ride by yourself, with some friends or along with the Okanagan Granfondo ride. You can ride indoors on a trainer or outdoors (and manually log it, or use platforms like Strava to automatically upload your rides). You'll sign up, choose your distance, and start training.

Create an account, log your training distances, and then participate on Ride Weekend in one of four distances. By logging your distances and fundraising, you'll enter to win some awesome prizes. Meanwhile, 100% of the proceeds raised through fundraising will benefit the Desmoid Tumour Foundation of Canada

Thanks to our partners:

 

desmoid foundation canada   wahoo fitness 

         Swagman 

TORA! Design

Connect with us #ATHINASRIDE