A Kamloops woman who is cycling to Ottawa to push for better mental health supports says her bike was stolen yesterday in Edmonton.

But Marlene Hibbs says she will not let that stop her from reaching her goal, adding she will find a bike and continue on with her journey.

“Things like this will happen, regardless of where we are,” she told Radio NL. “And it’s an opportunity to say, okay, let’s keep going forward, and that’s how I am approaching it. So I am looking at the solutions.”

“People have been reaching out to me asking how they can help, and that’s amazing, and that’s what will make this work ultimately, and help me get to Ottawa.”

Hibbs left Kamloops on May 24, with a goal to reach Ottawa in about three months, while talking to as many people as possible about mental health issues collecting their stories along the way.

“I’ve been emailing [people in Ottawa] and getting a head start to be smart with the time and the resources that I have, so there’s no need to rush because people are busy,” Hibbs added.

Instead, Hibbs says she will use the extra time she has to talk to even more people about the issues they face, adding she is grateful for all of the help she’s been getting along the way.

“Because it’s the resources are most valuable. Even like $20 or $50, whatever that is helps so much because then I can be focusing on the task at hand instead of my survival,” said Hibbs. “The awareness to have people know what I’m doing, that is so immensely powerful and I’m very grateful for all of it.”

Hibbs notes even if it takes her six months to get to Ottawa, she will take those stories she has collected to the nation’s capital, where she is hoping to speak to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

 

Please retweet 🦡❤️#Edmonton 127th 142nd Im a mental health advocate riding across Canada for trauma awareness. My bike was stolen please help me find it! pic.twitter.com/qTjTp56B5I

— Days of Action (@marlene_hibbs) June 13, 2019