Jill Hayward – Barriere Star/Journal
Twenty-nine-year-old Eva Kongerskov flew herself and her touring bicycle from Denmark to Vancouver on Apr. 12. Then on Apr. 14 she mounted her bicycle to ride some 6,000 km across Canada to meet up with a partner from Denmark in Toronto on June 9, then the final two weeks riding to Montreal before flying home from Boston on June 25.
Eva is no stranger to cycling long distances though. As a six-year-old she rode on the back of a bike while her parents toured. Then at age nine she biked with them from Denmark to Venice. Seven years ago she biked through South America, chalking up an impressive 13,000 km, and most recently in 2014 traveled 2,000 km through Norway.
However, Eva says she is a triathlon competitor, and will be competing in those competitions as soon as she returns to Denmark.
“To stay in shape I stop at public pools along the way so I can swim, and I do a lot of running as well to keep up my training,” says the athlete, who works for a travel company in Denmark.
She notes that when touring she does not know where she will be staying each night.
“When I got to Squamish, I just went up and knocked on the door of a house and asked if I could sleep on their lawn,” said the cyclist, “They were very nice and put me up in a trailer for the night. They also gave me a contact to stay with in Lillooet, who in turn put me in touch with Sam and Linda Kerton here in Barriere, which is where I stayed last night. It’s a chain thing. It works very well, and there is also a cyclist’s network called Warm Showers that helps as well.”
She notes that her bike (which she has used on all her tours) is, “Really heavy and super strong. It doesn’t break. This trip is pretty much smooth sailing, and the people are really friendly to talk to and help give me a place to sleep,” says Eva, “I carry a tent, but so far have not had to use it.”
She will travel to Jasper, Banff and then east from Calgary.
“I love the adventure. Waking up in the morning at a new place, not having any idea where I am going or who I am going to see. It’s about what’s beyond that next corner – it’s the whole experience.”
You can find photos of Eva’s travel on her Facebook page: Eva Kongerskov-triatlet og eventyrer