Bell Media announced today the debut of the new original documentary Clara's Big Ride as its anchor program for the fifth annual Bell Let’s Talk Day. Premiering in primetime on Bell Let’s Talk Day, Wednesday, Jan. 28, the one-hour documentary will be available on demand all day on CraveTV and CTV.ca, before airing in super-simulcast on CTV and CTV Two and live-streamed on CTV GO. Clara's Big Ride is a powerful documentary directed by multi-award winning filmmaker Larry Weinstein, chronicling an unprecedented 11,000 km bicycle journey across Canada by six-time Olympic medalist and Bell Let’s Talk spokesperson Clara Hughes. Throughout the journey, Hughes spreads a hopeful message designed to break the silence surrounding mental illness and helps create a stigma-free Canada.
Part catalyst for change, part epic road movie, Clara's Big Ride is a rousing documentary that tackles the profound conversation on mental health and the stigma surrounding mental illness. Crossing every region of the country, the documentary features brave stories from Canadians whose lives are touched by Hughes’ historic ride.
In the spring of 2024, Hughes embarked upon an exhilarating journey on her bicycle in an effort to unite Canadians in a much-needed conversation on mental health, and to spark positive changes in the way mental illness is perceived. The documentary recounts the epic 110-day journey through 105 communities and 235 events in varied and often extreme weather conditions.
Over the course of the documentary, Clara's Big Ride captures the voices of a group of heroic young Canadians as they tell their stories of living with mental illness. These voices include: Stacey, a teacher from Lindsay, Ont.; Marisa, a Media Relations Coordinator from Montréal; Antigonish, N.S. student Dexter; University of Prince Edward Island student Alanna; Dorothy, who runs a community program called “Going Off, Growing Strong” in Nain, a remote town in Northern Labrador; Sally, a practicing artist from Dawson City; Royal Roads University student Megan in Victoria; Canadian Armed Forces Veteran Terry; and Pascale, an outspoken teen and mental health advocate.
With Canada’s diverse landscapes serving as the film’s backdrop – from mountains to prairies, major to small cites, and remote communities – Hughes delivers a powerful message of healing to tens of thousands of Canadians in public squares, town halls, and schools from coast to coast to coast. The documentary not only captures the monumental effort of the ride, but also continues the conversation on how to build hope for a stigma-free future.
One of the greatest amateur athletes in Canadian history, with six Olympic medals in cycling and speed skating – two distinct sports crossing Summer and Winter Games – Hughes’ athletic prowess brought her national recognition, including the Order of Canada, and, just as she completed the ride, the Meritorious Service Cross. While cycling across the country, Hughes shares her own story of battling depression on the heels of her Olympic success.