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Saskatchewan sent 38 athletes, coaches and mission staff to Paris.
In a province known for its flatness, a local athlete has become the first person to gain recognition for going up and down a hill.
Regina triathlete Brett Vancise has become the first person in Saskatchewan to cycle the height of Mount Everest.
Vancise said he was looking for something to keep him active while triathlons and other races are cancelled or moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“No one’s ever done it in Saskatchewan, so growing up, I always wanted to do it,” Vancise said.
“It would be cool to be the first in Saskatchewan, it’s kind of a big deal in the cycling community.”
Everesting is repeatedly completing any type of climb by running, walking, hiking or cycling until the distance completed by the participant equals the height of Mount Everest – about 8,848 vertical metres.
The extreme activity has been around for around 10 years. Over 7,000 individuals around the world have completed the challenge to date.
“It’s my COVID project. Instead of racing, I’m doing this kind of crazy thing going up and down,” Vancise said.
Vancise, 35, finished his first Everesting last week at Regina Beach.
“The toughest part is mentally, because you’re just looking at the same thing all day.”
Vancise began his journey at 4:00 a.m. on June 11 after getting a good night’s sleep, just like he would before any race. Over the course of the next 19 hours, Vancise cycled about 309 kilometres and completed 247 laps.
Every 25 laps, Vancise would take a quick break to refuel in his vehicle where pizza and Gatorade awaited him.
The athlete said he consumed about five pizzas throughout the course of his expedition.
About halfway through the ride, Vancise said he began to really feel the exhaustion begin to kick in.
“I was thinking, like, I’ve been out here forever. I’ve been out here like nine, 10 hours and I’m feeling it and I’m still not even halfway done.”
He credited the Regina Beach community and their encouragement for keeping him going.
“Everyone’s nice, waves me through and I have a lot of support,” Vancise said. “It’s a lucky place to do it, the people are great.”
Vancise said it felt great to finish the race, but the ending wasn’t as exciting as he expected.
“It’s not like a race where you have a podium and champagne, you know, cheerleaders waiting for you at the end,” Vancise said.
Vancise has been listed in the Everesting Hall of Fame online.