Winnipeg endurance athlete to cycle across Canada in 45-day cancer fundraiser
Posted March 23, 2026 5:55 pm.
A Winnipeg fitness and wellness coach is preparing to push her limits on a cross-country cycling journey, all in support of cancer research.
Mady Kennedy is set to ride from Halifax to Vancouver over 45 days, aiming to raise $1 million for cancer through her partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society. The endurance athlete will average about 170 kilometres per day, a distance comparable to completing nearly a full Ironman daily for more than a month.
“If Mady can do it anyone can do it, but she’s more driven than the average person,” said Jodi Kennedy, mother of Mady.
Kennedy says the journey is as much mental as it is physical.
“I’ve really just embraced the fear and the uncertainty and knowing that I’m going to get put in positions that I’ve never been before and seeing how I react to that and seeing the things my brain can come up with,” said Kennedy. “I think that’s truly the only place that we can grow is being really really uncomfortable.”
The ride is deeply personal. Kennedy’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, an experience that reshaped her perspective.
“My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and obviously when you hear that word it’s so scary and you don’t know what that looks like and I think we’ve all in someway been impacted by cancer,” said Kennedy.
To prepare, Kennedy spends up to seven hours a day training on her bike. The physical demands are intense, but she says her motivation comes from her family, especially her mother.
“Not to have her would be so scary,” said Kennedy. “And you don’t really think about that until you get to the point where it could be taken away. So, for me that was the most powerful. It changed my relationship with her. And at the end of the day if we don’t get along or we bicker and stuff, at the end of the day, I need my mom”
Her mother, Jodi Kennedy, says cancer has affected multiple generations of their family.
“In my family, I am just one out of very many people, a lot of people in my family have cancer. On my mom’s side and my dad’s side,” said Jodi. “I’ve lost most of my aunt’s, uncle’s and grandparents to cancer”
Despite some concern, she says she is confident her daughter will succeed.
“Very proud obviously,” said Jodi. “I know she’ll do well. I’m a little bit worried but that’s my job to worry about her. I’m just hoping that people step forward, sponsor her, help her and donate to the cause and let’s find a cure”
Kennedy is scheduled to depart April 27 and is expected to pass through Winnipeg during the May long weekend.
