081. Brian Kennelly - His AR700 Journey

My Back 40

Those of you in the Canadian bikepacking scene will know Brian, and if you have ever attended the Bikepack Canada Summit, you may have had the pleasure of meeting him.

Personally, I look at riders like Brian as very inspirational. If I can still get after it like he, and other older riders do, when I’m their age, I will have been blessed. You’ve heard me say this on the podcast before: Moving water don’t freeze. Brian exemplifies this as an active cyclist and skier. He’s always on the go.

In August 2021, Brian participated in the AR700, a challenging 687km ultra endurance bikepacking event which took us on a figure eight route through the Canadian Rockies and which boasted over 10,000m of gain. Those who followed the event may remember that Brian crashed and ended up breaking his hip. Admittedly, he made a mistake in trying to ride a section that he shouldn’t have. A lesson I’m sure many of us will take value in learning, especially on longer events. I wanted to hear his story and share it with all of you.

In this episode, we talk about the 2024 BC Winter Games, which will be taking place in his home town of Quesnel, BC. We chat about the the Cariboo region and it’s unique terrain and challenges of cycling there. We talk about the recent flooding in the Sumas valley and how our environment seems to be rapidly changing and of course we get into his story of the AR, the people who helped him and his recovery.

It was great to connect with Brian and I hope you enjoy our chat and the wisdom he shares.

The Tragically Hip - Ahead by a Century

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