Baycrest

18 • BrainMatters • Spring/Summer 2023 On June 4, 2023, an anticipated 10,000 cyclists will participate in the second annual Mattamy Homes Bike for Brain Health in support of Baycrest and traverse Toronto's Gardiner Expressway and the scenic Don Valley Parkway — traffic-free! In the process, they will add to the more than $3 million raised in last year's inaugural event to support Baycrest's groundbreaking work to defeat dementia. To help capture why the Mattamy Homes Bike for Brain Health became immediately beloved by the 5,000 cyclists who participated last year, BrainMatters interviewed team captains from the 2022 ride. Below are responses from Japjeev "Jup" Bhasin, who captained his family's team; Lyndon Burrell, captain of BikePeopleDem, a GTA-based cycling club designed to promote fitness, a love for cycling, adventure and community building among members of the Caribbean community in Toronto; Jay Lacambra, a self-described adventurer, photographer and captain of the NomadsCC Team; and Alfred Sung, captain of his family's team. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MATTAMY HOMES BIKE FOR BRAIN HEALTH? LYNDON BURRELL: "The opportunity to literally 'go play in the street' and ride up and down the DVP on a bicycle was irresistible! And we wanted to ride as a group and support a worthy cause." ALFRED SUNG: "The ride is a precious chance for my 73-year-old dad to cycle on the highways [and] also a platform for him to express his creativity and to engage his peers to support his participation through their donations. It's good for him both physically and mentally. Last year, we rode with the name of my late grandma written on our number bibs to remember her. She passed away in her 90s more than a decade ago from Alzheimer's disease." WHAT ARE YOUR BEST MEMORIES FROM LAST YEAR'S RIDE? JUP: "The great ride with friends and the fun atmosphere, including some very enthusiastic volunteers. I was also very proud of my 7-year-old nephew riding a full 25 kilometres on a single- speed bike. Also, discovering some trees with amazingly scented flowers along the DVP that one would never notice in a car." JAY: "To be honest, it was seeing all of our friends from different clubs out and having fun. Hearing some people shout 'Nomads!' every once in a while was pretty cool, especially since we're a very small club in the city. Cycling is such an individual sport and it's crazy to enjoy it with a large number of people." LYNDON: "Riding on the DVP and stopping in the middle of the highway under the Bloor Viaduct for a selfie with my friends. THE RETURN OF BIKING THE DVP IN SUPPORT OF BAYCREST

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