7 News Belize

The Ride Across Starts Up
posted (June 1, 2011)
And while it took an Herculean effort to clear off the canal side, it takes an Olympian effort for the participants in the 2011 Ride Across Belize to participate in the event.

They put down the first leg from Corozal to Belize today and we were there to see them come in:

Monica Bodden Reporting

After pedaling 88 miles from Corozal Town to Belize City â€" the riders arrived just a little before midday. It is the 8th annual SSB Ride across Belize. The first leg of the race started at 6am this morning in Corozal Town.

Edmund Castro, rider
"This one was very tough. For some reason, maybe because I really never had the amount of mileage that I need to have for the distance, it was tough. And then the heat was on as well. Tomorrow we have the hills, from Belize City to San Ignacio, and the one that I don't like is the one from San Ignacio to Dangriga. I think I will skip most of that one."

Rolando Zetina, Rider
"It is always challenging. preparation, I think, takes between 4 - 5 months, riding at least 5 times a week, and the road is not easy. It's quite rough, so you have to be in really good shape to stand the shaking of the bike and the pressure on your legs. They most challenging, I'd say, is from Cayo to Dangriga, basically because of the hills on the Hummingbird."

Thurnica Milton, SSB, Branch Manager
"The objectives over the year, have been to give sponsorships to worthy causes. For example, for this year, we're contributing to the Cancer Society in Dangriga, and also BERT, they ambulance service that we have in our country today."

The race continues tomorrow morning from Belize City to San Ignacio.

Phillipa McDonald, First Class Clerk, SSB
"You have a wide cross-section of riders, elite, amateur, people doing it just for fun, as we advertize the ride, it's not a race it's just a ride so it's whatever that you can peddle, and as my branch manager mentioned, it's all to gain sponsorships for worthy causes, in this case the Dangriga Cancer and BERT Ambulance."

Phillipa McDonald
"The second leg starts tomorrow at 6 o'clock. It leave right from our Belize City office en route to Santa Elena. It stops for a brief moment to in Belmopan. From Santa Elena, it proceeds to Dangriga, stopping for a brief moment in Independence. And from Dangriga, the last stage is en route to Punta Gorda. So it' covers the entire country."

This year's ride is to raise funds for The Belize Cancer Center in Dangriga and BERT.

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