When Clara Hughes stepped off her bike on July 1 in Ottawa, she was looking forward to some much-needed time off.
Even though the six-time Olympic medallist who excelled in both cycling and speed skating was used to high-level training and competition, she needed a break.
Who could blame her?
The 42-year-old who grew up in Winnipeg had just pedalled some 12,000 kilometres that took her to every province and territory during her national bike tour - Clara's Big Ride.
It was her way of encouraging all Canadians to be part of the conversation about mental health and to help end the stigma around mental illness.
She spent 110 days on the road from March 14 to July 1, visiting 95 communities along the way.
"I haven't been on my bike since," she said recently from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. "I took a lot of time off, it took a physical and mental toll on me. I did 235 events connecting and sharing...
"I haven't been on my bike, I've been hiking and running and I've stayed off the bike."
But she's back on the road again and while she's not cycling to Prince George, she will be here on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the YMCA of Northern B.C.
And while she criss-crossed the globe competing and is currently spreading the word about removing the stigma around mental health as well as promoting Right to Play - a global organization that uses the power of playing to educate and empower children facing adversity - one place she hasn't visited yet is Prince George.
"I almost got to Prince George when my husband and I rode our bikes from Canmore to Bella Coola a few years ago, but we would've had to wait two days to take the ferry from Bella Coola to Prince Rupert and we couldn't do it," she said.
"I really don't know too much about northern B.C. but I can't wait to help celebrate the YMCA's 50th anniversary. It'll be awesome."
Hughes is the only Canadian to have won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. In 1996 she pedalled to a pair of bronze medals in cycling at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
She switched gears to her first love, speed skating, for the next three Winter Olympiads, capturing the bronze in the 5,000-metre at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, gold in the same event at the 2006 Games in Torino, as well as silver in team pursuit. In 2010 in Vancouver, she claimed bronze in the 5,000m.
She capped off her Olympic career at the 2012 Summer Games in London, competing in cycling prior to retiring as an Olympian.
Besides being an Olympic champion, Hughes champions mental health issues since she too has struggled with depression in the past. Since 2010, she's worked with the Bell Let's Talk campaign dedicated to the promotion and support of mental health across Canada.
Her visit to Prince George includes two separate appearances for youth and the public. She will also bring her Olympic medals with her.
"I hope to reach as many people as possible," she said. "There is so much of a connection between physical and mental health. Just getting outside for a walk can make a huge difference. [My main message] is to embrace the possibilities.
"I encourage people to connect to something and what they can get out of it, whether it's art, music, the spoken word. For young people, that's very important, to find things that express yourself."
Life wasn't always easy for Hughes. She admits she was a troubled teen growing up in Winnipeg. But when she was 16 she was inspired to turn things around by watching Canadian speed skating legend Gatan Boucher (four-time Olympic medallist) compete at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
She tried the sport. She never looked back.
Since she retired from competition, she splits her time between her homes in Salt Lake City and Canmore, which she shares with husband Peter Guzman.
"I don't like living in big communities, I really appreciate smaller communities and I'm excited to see new places such as Prince George," she said.
She didn't belong to a YMCA as a youth growing up in Winnipeg.
But early on during her competitive cycling career, she did weight training at a YMCA in Hamilton, Ont.
"It can open up your world, I have so much respect for [the YMCA] and I want to celebrate it," she said.
The YMCA is offering two events with Hughes on Nov. 19.
The first is a youth event from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Northern Sport Centre for 2,000 Grade 5 students. The event is open to invited students only, not the general public.
Contact [email protected] for more information or to register.
The second event, 7 p.m. at UNBC's Canfor Theatre, is open to the public. Tickets, $35 (regular price) or $80 (VIP, includes a meet-and-greet) are available in advance at the YMCA on Massey Drive.
Hughes has won countless awards and accolades.
She was named Female Athlete of the Year by Speed Skating Canada; she received the International Olympic Committee's Sport and Community Trophy; she was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto; she was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and was recognized with an Order of Canada appointment.
Hughes sits on the International Board of Directors for Right to Play. She holds honorary doctorates from the University of Manitoba and UBC.
