Zach Choboter has done it. He covered more than 10,000 kilometres travelling from Whistler in the west to St. Johns, Nfld. in the far east, unofficially broke a Guiness Book of World Records title, and as of late August wrapped up his Blading for Bees cross-country tour.
Choboter, who hails from Aldergrove, is back home after more than three months and glad to have his blades off and his feet up on the couch – resting.
“I’m so overwhelmed by the support I received from so many… our goal was to shine light on pollinators, their role, and why they represent so much more than themselves. I know we touched and inspired tens of thousands of people to take a second look,” he shared at the conclusion of his lengthy trek.
The 25-year-old extreme sports enthusiast embarked on his journey on May 25, and wrapped it up at the end of August. His family travelled to St. Johns to be with him as he finished the journey, and literally dove into the Atlantic Ocean.
“The most memorable thing about this trip was all the people we encountered. As we met a lot of locals, they always gave positive feedback about our trip,” he said.
Choboter didn’t just make the journey for thrills or to break a record for the longest journey on roller skates. His real motivation was doing it for the bees and the environment.
“People need bees. They balance our natural ecosystems and are a vital part of our economy,” he said. “They affect us all and are responsible for one in every three bites of food that we eat.”
Skating more than 10,000 kms was what he was willing to do to show people how important “these incredible creatures are.”
Blading for Bees’ mission was to promote and circulate knowledge on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
It’s a crucial time for our environment and the decisions we make now, will affect us directly,” he said.
“Using bees and pollinators as a lens, we aim to educate the public on how to lower their ecological footprint while showing them how enticing it is to do so in the process,” Choboter added, noting his support team created a platform to educate communities across our nation and the world on issues pollinators, the environment, and humans are facing today.
After wrapping up the journey, Choboter thanked all his supporters, but in particular gave a shout out to his sister Rachel.
“We have so many people to thank but above all Rachel deserves the most praise. She gave up her whole summer to spend three months in a van with an annoying, tired, cranky brother,” he acknowledged.
”She did all the hard work – usually on these epic missions, support teams are between three to six people. It was only her… from the social media, to logistics, to dealing with a stinky rollerblader, and so so much more – she is the reason Blading for Bees is what it is today and why it’s been so successful.”
As for earning the world title for travelling on rollerblades, the current record was set by Peter Bogelein of Germany. In 1986 he roller bladed 8,596 km. Choboter passed that mark in rural New Brunswick and his team has submitted their application, and now have to await the official designation. By the end of his trip, he was at the 10,093.06 km mark.
Choboter will likely have to wait a few months to hear back about officially breaking the record.
For now, he and the team are taking some much deserved rest before …..
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People can find out more about the cause online at: bladingforbees.com.
“I’m so excited for what’s next for the Blading for Bees Foundation (B4B) and myself! The B4B Foundation is a NGO I have started, and this fall and new year we will be working with students and education all about sustainability, the environment, and why it’s so cool and important to care about climate change.”
“For me… there is definitely more mind bending challenges in my future. I can’t reveal anything yet, but let’s just say my next effort will be bigger and more isolated,” Choboter concluded.
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