Dr. Jack Taunton talks about the UBC Grand Prix, which takes place on July 9, and his love of cycling
Sports medicine pioneer Dr. Jack Taunton, co-founder of the UBC Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre, has made a career of treating athletes. He is also an athlete himself.
He has completed in more than 60 marathons and continues to run and race, cycle and cross-country ski. On July 9, Taunton will be one of thousands on hand for the UBC Grand Prix, one of several local cycling races that make up BC Superweek.
How have you seen cycling evolve in Vancouver over the years?
Cycling has taken off in the Lower Mainland. More and more cyclists are using bike lanes for exercise, transportation, and leisure use. BC Superweek has brought pro racing to the West Coast and mass-participation cycling events like the RBC GranFondo Whistler are raising the profile of cycling in Vancouver even more.
How will the UBC Grand Prix promote sustainability?
We are trying to make this the most sustainable UBC Grand Prix to date. We are using electric pace-cars to reduce CO2 emissions, encouraging spectators to cycle to our event using bike lanes and park their bikes with a safe bike valet, and hosting the event during the day as to minimize use of additional course lighting.
What kind of value do big-ticket events like the UBC Grand Prix bring to the community?
UBC Vancouver is a fantastic location to host any event, especially the UBC Grand Prix. As part of BC Superweek, the pro race brings a lot of Vancouver’s amateur cyclists out to our campus. The kid’s race attracts young families and our Corporate Challenge shows off UBC to Vancouver’s top execs. We have one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada, and we are looking forward to showing it off on July 9th.
