A new trail park near Minnedosa is giving cyclists of all experience levels an opportunity to honour the memory of a 12-year-old athlete and achieve some personal fitness goals of their own.
Ole Heie, who died suddenly in July 2021, loved running, cycling and skiing, and had been eagerly awaiting the planned development of Squirrel Hills Trail Park.
Ole’s family, in partnership with Valley Life Recreation, hosted the first Ride Like Ole event after his death.
Seven cyclists, who collected donations in the community, rode 172 kilometres through Riding Mountain National Park. They nearly doubled their fundraising goal of $17,200 — $100 for each kilometre — to help cover some of the trail park’s construction costs.
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Ole Heie who died in July 2021.
With the park now nearing completion, more people will be able to take part Sunday in this year’s Ride Like Ole, said Dave Ternier, Valley Life Recreation’s board chair and one of the event’s organizers.
“It allows people to become a part of what Ole was and how he lived and just the passion and enthusiasm for which he lived, specifically when it comes to trails,” Ternier said Tuesday.
“It doesn’t matter what it was on trails — whether he was riding a bike, whether he was trail running, whether he was cross-country skiing — he just had such a thrill of not only being on trails but getting people out on trails.”
Ole, who dreamed of competing in the Olympics, grew up in Camrose, Alta, but frequently visited his parents’ home town of Minnedosa, where his grandmother lives.
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Ole Heie died while running near his home in Camrose.
He died while running near his home in Camrose.
Even though Ole often won the events he participated in, he would stay at the finish line, cheering the others on until everyone made it to the end, Ternier said the boy’s parents told him.
News of his death “shook the whole town,” Ternier said.
“Being able to open up Ride Like Ole to become an event where everybody from complete novice to advanced mountain-bike rider can participate in the same space, I think just represents the best of what Ole was all about,” he said.
“Despite his incredible, almost hard-to-believe athletic achievements, he always wanted to create space for those who, maybe, didn’t identify as that.”
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Even though Ole often won the events he participated in, he would stay at the finish line, cheering the others on until everyone made it to the end.
Participants this year can tackle rides of five, 10, 25, 50 or 100 kilometres, based on their experience level. The starts are staggered, so everyone will finish their laps through the park around the same time.
Ternier said 93 people are registered and he’s expecting more to sign up on the weekend.
Wet spring weather delayed some construction at the trailhead, but it’s expected to be completed in the next two weeks. The hope is to raise between $10,000 and $30,000 Sunday to add washrooms and final landscaping, Ternier said.
“We get to let his spirit, his legacy continue motivating and inspiring people to try things that maybe they were just a little too scared of before,” he said. “We really hope the Squirrel Hills Trail Park becomes a place — becomes a gateway — for people when it comes to exploring and adding trails to their lives.”
jura.mcilraith@freepress.mb.ca
