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If you’re heading out today, there’s a chance you’ll catch a glimpse of history riding past.
Cyclist Phil Fox is attempting to set a Guinness world record by travelling around Lake Huron in 72 hours or less, and he’s biking into the Innisfil area to do it.
While the arrival time could change, he was tentatively scheduled to roll through a Simcoe County route that includes Oro-Medonte, Barrie, Innisfil, Thornton and Baxter this morning — hitting Division Road, County Road 22, Penetanguishene Road (County Road 93), Dunlop Street, Essa Road, and county roads 27 and 21, among others.
Fox will also do this to raise money for the American-based National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Bike MS initiative, which is committed to finding a cure for MS — a disease that is “close to his heart” and has afflicted two of Fox’s best friends.
“By competing in ultra cycling events and setting world records, Phil hopes to bring awareness to the everyday struggles of people living with MS,” said Andrew Donsbach, who is running Fox’s marketing campaign. “Pushing his physical limits is one way he can honour the physical struggles of his two friends and everyone living with MS.”
Fox hopes to raise $10,000 US during this initiative, collecting more than $7,800 so far.
He started the trip on Thursday, June 5, and is tracking to complete the circumnavigation on time. Fox departed from the Blue Water Bridge (on the Port Huron, Mich., side) with a goal of returning to the bridge’s Ontario side Sunday morning.
The route covers a distance of about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres), going clockwise through Ontario and Michigan, Donsbach said.
Fox is trying to break records for all five Great Lakes and already has lakes Michigan (2021), Erie (2023) and Ontario (2024) under his belt.
“In 2011, Phil’s two best friends were diagnosed with (MS) within months of each other,” Donsbach said. “Phil was just a novice cyclist at that point, but he wanted to do something to help. He got connected with Bike MS … and he’s been racing and raising money for the cause ever since.”
For more details, or to donate to the cause, visit teamphilfox.com or check out @teamphilfox on Instagram.
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