Meet the Sault Cycling Club Executive

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing you to the Sault Cycling Club Executive so you can get to know a little about who we are and what we aim to achieve by being part of the club.

First up, we want to introduce our Club President, Mark Santana.

Mark is a 2nd Generation Dentist of 33 years. He was born, raised in and returned to Sault Ste. Marie and has a family of 3.

Ever since I can remember, I was in love with all things bikes. Some of my most cherished memories are the smallest details that relate to bikes. I will never forget the Simplex gears and Diacomp brakes of my first real race bike, a Motebecaine. Nor will I ever forget the feeling of moving from road to rugged terrain the first time I tried these new two wheeled devices called mountain bikes in 1984. It was surreal, like a fish discovering land. A bike with 2 inch balloon tires rolling effortlessly over rocks and logs and through creeks. Suddenly the opportunities open to me in a place like Sault Ste. Marie, with so much beautiful wilderness trail were endless. I never wanted to lose the joy a bike presented to me and never did.

I will be 60 this year. I ride on roads and see the endless safe opportunities for commuting and for families to be healthy on bike paths within the city. I ride on gravel and see the possibilities for exploring on camp roads east and north of the city. I shred mountain bikes at Hiawatha, Bellevue Valley and “north shore” at Batchawana and see the endless opportunities for adventure here. But mostly, after so many years, I see how none of this could have happened without the efforts of so many young and young at heart individuals who feel as I do but dedicate so much volunteerism to making it all happen for all of us through the SCC.

As president of the SCC, I want to honour what these great citizens of our community are doing by leveraging this talent. Great citizens make great communities. Through the SCC, and with the support of our city leaders, who understand that the future of our city is in attracting talent to our community, I want to help further our vision- we are an active community, a clean energy community, a cycling community.