A four-year-old Guelph boy is celebrating his first season of riding his bike without training wheels by raising over $5,000 so far for SickKids Foundation.
Phil and Nicole Golding said their four-year-old son Jordan couldn’t stop talking about taking the training wheels off his bike this year.
“He picked it up right away and that’s all he wants to do is ride his bike, so we decided to turn it into a fundraiser,” said Phil of Jordan’s journey.
Jordan said he got stuck a couple of times, but otherwise has been extremely successful in adjusting to two-wheel life.
“Today I rode my bike with the helmet on over the ramp,” he said. “I didn’t jump.”
He also had to get used to his bike not standing up on its own without training wheels.
“For a little while I had no kickstand,” said Jordan. “Now it’s standing up by itself.”
The family enjoys riding bikes together in their south end neighbourhood.
“I have a big sister Nora and I have a little sister Charlotte,” said Jordan.
Phil and Nicole signed Jordan up for the Great Cycle Challenge Canada, a fundraiser in support of SickKids Foundation.
“We are using it to raise money for a great cause, but also to teach our kids about community and giving back and all of that kind of stuff,” said Phil.
SickKids Foundation is a cause they gravitated toward, said Phil.
“We have three kids and imagining someone who had a child who was in a tough spot — it’s obviously unimaginable.”
Initially, a goal of $500 was set up for Jordan, but he soon surpassed it.
“We raised it to $2,500 and once he clinched that we said, ‘let’s just see how far it goes,’” said Phil.
As of Sunday evening, Jordan has raised over $5,000 and is ranked fifth in all of Canada for individual donations.
The family has set a goal of 30 kilometres for Jordan’s fundraising effort, which Phil said he has already met.
“We just record it with an app. He rides around and we turn it on,” said Phil. “It’s been great exercise, he loves riding his bike and it’s a good cause.”
