Meet a UBCO student who biked 4,000 km to the Arctic, alone

• Went from Osoyoos to Tuktoyaktuk
• Raised over $30,000 for CMHA
• Created docuseries on YouTube called 'Due North'

A University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) student spent his summer filming his biking adventure from the bottom of Canada all the way to the top while raising a lot of money.

As of December, his exploits have helped raise over $30,000 for mental health.

For three months, Michael Friedland embarked on a solo journey from Osoyoos to the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, NWT.

“I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer, but I wanted to actually like fulfill one of those dreams,” Friedland told Kelowna10.

“My friend sold me his bicycle and from that point, it was just yeah let’s do it.”

He describes the motivation behind the ride as one stemming from struggles with his own mental health and feelings of stagnation. He wanted to accomplish a big goal while inspiring others.

During the adventure, Friedland said it could be tough sometimes to stay motivated. Combined with feelings of isolation and plenty of encounters with wildlife, Friedland found connecting with others kept him going.

“I’d be having a bad day… like why am I still on a bicycle, and then someone would stop and have a really nice chat with me on the side of the road, or someone would invite me to their home to have a meal with them,” he said.

Friedland’s favourite part of the trip was riding through the Mackenzie Delta in the Northwest Territories. He said along the Dempster Highway there would be hundreds of kilometers with no settlements. Once he reached civilization again, he found the people were friendly and the landscape was unique.

“Popping out of tree line at 60 degrees north was such an interesting feeling. Being at sea level and the only reason there are no more trees is because you’re too far north. That was really cool,” Friedland said.

The funds he raised for the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) will be split between three local divisions in Revelstoke-Shuswap, Northern B.C. out of Prince George, and Yukon. Friedland wanted to raise money for the people along his route to ensure he could help with the most pressing problems in those communities.

He encourages everyone to try a cycling trip at least once in their lives and his journey is available to watch as a docuseries on YouTube called Due North.