Two sisters studying in post-secondary from Lacombe had to get creative in order to find a summer job to make a bit of extra cash. With the current pandemic, both Bethany and Barbara Kiers were out of a summer job, but not for too long. Together, they started the Pedal 2 the Metal Mountain Bike Camp a day camp for bicycle enthusiasts. 

“Both me and my sister were supposed to work at summer camps. I was supposed to be at Saskatchewan and she was supposed to be in BC. They got cancelled because of COVID-19. We’re trying to figure out summer jobs and we decided let’s try starting a bike camp.  It’s easier to social distance with bikes. So, we thought that might work,” said Bethany Kiers. 

Bethany is currently in school to receive her degree in education and Barbara is working on her degree in Biology/Pre-veterinary. 

What they didn’t expect was the overwhelming support they received. Having never ran their own day camp before, they weren’t sure exactly how successful they would be. Through social media they were able to start the camp and grow the day camp’s popularity. 

“We started about a month ago. We made a website. We got all these registration forms. We just started advertising on Facebook which worked really well. I was sort of surprised,” explained Bethany. 

“We have all slots filled except for our last week and we have I think six slots to be filled in our last week that are open still and that’s it,” added Barbara. 

With little time to plan, Bethany admitted it’s not always easy. The current unpredictable weather adds another unprecedented challenge. 

“We were really worried about the weather because last week it rained so much. We were wondering if we would have to cancel, but so far, it’s been really good with that,” said Bethany. 

During the rainy days, the pair may give bicycle safety tips in a socially distanced space. Their regular days are catered to each age group and skill level taking the bikers on trails, and sometimes to the park. 

“Depending on the age group changes which trails we go on. The younger ones we go on the pavement more. The older ones we go on dirt trails primarily and pretty much no pavement,” explained Barbara Kiers. 

Given the success of the program, the sisters are considering continuing on running their own camp next summer rather than returning to their usual summer jobs. 

“I can definitely see it as a good thing to do next year as well. It’s been going well so far so we’ll see where life takes us,” said Barbara. 

Overall, Barbara says the ticket to their success was simply just doing it.  

“Sometimes the things that you think are not going to work out end up being a big success. Get to know people around your community, being connected to people really helps with the success of a program,” explained Barbara. 

Pedal 2 the Metal runs during weekdays until July 31st. You can check out Barbara’s and Bethany’s day camp by clicking here.