Travelling sisters ride through B.C. on horseback journey across Canada
'When I was a little girl, I thought it would be cool to be the first woman to ride across Canada'
Two Grimsby, Ont., sisters have travelled through hail and heat waves on a horseback trip across the country and they made their way through southern B.C. last week.
Katie, 25, and Jewel Keca, 20, told CBC's The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn, they're living their dream.
"When I was a little girl I thought it would be cool to be the first woman to ride across Canada," says Katie.
Back in 2017, they set out from Mahone Bay, N.S., and travelled to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. It took them 116 days to cover 2,500 kilometres before they decided hit pause. They set out again in May 2019 to finish the western leg of their travels and maybe even make history.
They've been riding for more than 100 days and travel an average of 40 kilometres a day. Sometimes they can't believe what they've signed up for — meeting new people, dealing with traffic and taking care of the horses.
"Until you're out there living it every day, it's a completely different experience," said Katie.
The most memorable part of the trip so far has been the kindness of people. A woman named Jennifer reached out to them on Facebook when she found out they were riding through Rock Creek, B.C. She treated them to dinner, vet supplies and even gave them tips on how to trim their horses hooves.
They don't plan much in advance, the only thing they know is that they're headed west with their brother Joseph is following them in a van.
"It can be scary ... it can be exhausting ... but you just put your head down and just do it," Katie said.
On Thursday, they were near Princeton,B.C. and announced Friday on their Facebook page Kečing Canada that they will be taking a two-week break for some rest and recovery.
After the trip, Katie plans to relocate to Vancouver, and Jewel will settle in Victoria.
They can't imagine taking up this adventure with anyone else. "She's the only person I could spend this time with and not get too annoyed," Jewel said.
The ride is also raising money and awareness for Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. So far, they've raised $8,000.
with files from the Early Edition and Laurence Watt