Cyclist explores World War I sites on grocery store bike, covering 1,000 kms in Canada

Stephanie Yuill spent 5 weeks raising money for Red Cross efforts in Ukraine

A Yellowknife woman has completed a remarkable five-week journey visiting First World War sites on a bike she bought from a grocery store in France.

Stephanie Yuill initially planned to walk the Western Front Way, a trail that traces the trenches and front lines of the war. However, after developing foot pain, she made a last-minute decision to bike the route instead.

Along the way, Yuill also raised funds for Red Cross efforts in Ukraine.

Yuill's connection to the war runs deep. "My grandmother was a war bride who came over from the United Kingdom in 1946, and my grandfather was part of the army that liberated Holland," she explained.

Yuill began her journey on September 11, departing from a town on the French-Swiss border. She travelled approximately 1,000 kilometres north to Nieuwpoort, Belgium, often venturing off the main route to explore sites. "I’d bike, I’d stop, I’d take pictures, I’d look," she recalled.

Her family was never far from her thoughts during the trip. "I had my grandmother’s wedding ring on so she was with me every day," she said.

Despite the physical challenges of the journey, Yuill said it served as a powerful reminder of the horrors of war. "It taught me to never let something like a world war happen again," she said, reflecting on the staggering loss of life during the First World War, which claimed the lives of up to ten million soldiers, with millions more wounded or killed.

Yuill stressed the importance of patience and respect in a world often divided by conflict. "I know we can’t always get along with everyone, but it doesn’t mean we can’t try to be patient, be respectful," she said.

With Remembrance Day approaching, Yuill hopes her journey inspires others to take action. "I think we owe it to generations before us to remember, to educate and to continue to have calls to action," she said.