Ride
for Sue
2026 · 100.93 km · Vancouver
On Friday September 18 we rode 100.93 km around Vancouver in honour of Lil’ Sue — and we’re still raising for Canada's Special Olympics Athletes.
Why We Rode
Thirteen years ago, on September 18, 2013 we lost Lil’ Sue, (fucking streetcar tracks…) and we celebrated her memory with another bike ride. My sister and I have been doing this as a semi-official tradition the past thirteen years. It’s always booked off in our calendars, and some friends have even caught on and done the same. (You’re all wild and I love you, btw).
This year I figured we may as well put a name to the tradition, see if we could get a couple more people on bikes, and make it both a celebration of the legend herself and a fundraiser for something Sue would have been all over.
The plan was to ride 100km around Vancouver, rain or shine — either a great tribute or a bad decision, and we said we’d know by about kilometre 15. Turns out it was both. People rode alongside us, waved as we passed, and turned up for the BBQ afterwards.
The donation page is still open, so if you’d like to mark the day by making sport more accessible for everyone, you still can.
The Route
East over Burnaby first. The one real climb came at km 15, an hour in. Then 42 km of flat along the Fraser to Steveston, north to UBC, and home along the water through Stanley Park.
View detailed route map
Out over Burnaby
km 0–22
The flats, along the Fraser
km 22–64
North to UBC
km 64–80
Home along the water
km 80–102
Scroll the profile sideways to see the whole ride →
When
Friday September 18, 2026 · rolled out 12:32, home 18:11
Distance
100.93 km and 903 m of climbing. A loop.
Where
Started and finished in North Vancouver.
Refuel
Imperial Landing, Steveston
Weather
Held. It’s Vancouver, so that counts for something.
After
BBQ and drinks back at the start, for everyone who rode and everyone who didn’t.
Was it hard?
Yes. 101 km with 903 m of climbing, and the hard part was right at the beginning. The vibes carried us the rest of the way, exactly as advertised. Candy helped. Padded shorts helped more.
Will there be another?
There has been one every September for thirteen years, so yes. Same week next year. Bring a bike, or don’t — the BBQ has no entry requirements.
Riding for a cause
Lil’ Sue might best be known by her energy or her infectious laugh, but she’ll also be remembered to all as an Athlete.
She taught spin classes, body-pump (whatever that is), and yoga. She was a tennis pro, and somehow learned to snowboard at 40 years old without any big injuries.
Sue was always in motion, and she and my dad made sport a foundational part of our family.
I only recently realized how privileged I am to have been raised with wide-open doors to sports. They’re where I get the most joy out of life, and I have Sue to thank for that.
So, when I was asked to captain a team and fundraise for the Special Olympics, I thought to pay-forward what Sue & my dad did for me.
Motionball is a celebration of sport & community, and making both accessible to everyone. The funds we raised pay for equipment, coaching, gym time, and more—both for those new to sports, and Special Olympics athletes representing Canada on the global stage.
Sue would have loved to be a part of the day itself, whether helping to run it (like she did with many a ski race), or just riding alongside us. I like to think she’d have taken the hill better than I did.
Thanks!
John (& the part of Lil’ Sue in me)
What the money raised pays for
$300
A team set of floor hockey sticks, or a pool rental for a two-hour practice
$500
Certifying a volunteer Special Olympics coach
$750
Sending a Special Olympics athlete to compete at Provincial Games
$1,000
An eight-week gym rental for an Active Start program, ages 2 to 6
$1,500
Starting a new Special Olympics club in a small community
$2,000
Hosting a local, regional or provincial competition for hundreds of athletes
$5,000
Our team goal
Year-round training, competition and coaching for athletes in our community
Funds support the Special Olympics Canada Foundation, split three ways: 70% to provincial Special Olympics chapters, which is local programs and local athletes · 25% to the Foundation · 5% to motionball’s #NoGoodWay campaign, which works to end use of the R-word.
The ride is done. The fundraiser isn’t.
Donate to motionball
The ride’s over but the page is still open, and the goal keeps moving up as we get near it. Every dollar goes to the same place: making sport accessible for Special Olympics athletes. Any amount is appreciated (though if you’re pulling in six figures, a bigger donation would be great for your own taxes)!
Donate even moreSend it to someone
The fastest way to help now is to pass the recap along. Share the page with someone who knew Sue, or someone who just likes a good reason to get on a bike.
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