Zoë Caddell cycles through Europe pledging help for refugees

A 22-year-old woman from Rothesay is on a journey across Europe raising funds for displaced Syrians and stopping at aid stations along the way.

Zoë Caddell is cycling from Bulgaria to Spain as part of a crowdfunding campaign for the Red Cross Syrian Refugee Relief Effort.

Caddell felt compelled to help in the Syrian refugee crisis, but had a difficult time finding a way to volunteer in refugee camps. The next best alternative was to drop in and help, she said.

"I think it's our responsibility as citizens of the world to try and do our best to help these people resettle," Caddell told Information Morning Saint John from Gorizia, Italy, approximately 1,000 kilometres into her journey.

"The thing that absolutely blows me away is the fact that everyone just keeps their head up, and they keep going. To quote one guy, he said, 'As long as the mind is working the body follows,'  and so these are people who have risked being shot at the Iranian border, people who have been imprisoned by Bulgarian authorities, they're sleeping in parks, they haven't eaten for days … they've been through an awful lot.

"Most of them have been on the road, if they're in the Balkans now, then they left their home country a month or two ago."

Saddle sore

Caddell says her trek is "nothing compared to what [migrants] are facing," but it has had its hiccups.

The first few days were rough, she admits.

"I didn't do any training, I just kind of decided, it was probably three or four weeks ago that I wanted to do this, and I'm putting in about 100 kilometres a day," she said.

"My butt was in rough shape for day two and three, but it gets better every day. I hit the mountains in Slovenia and that was a rude awakening."

On Sunday, Caddell set out to do a "simple 70 kilometres" taking her to Ajdovšcina, but Google Maps sent her off-roading over 20 kilometres of logging roads, about four hours of walking.

"But I can stay in hostels and I can couch surf, but it's so much more difficult for Syrians and Afghans … being denied entrance to places, or being imprisoned by border patrol authorities," she said.

I personally worry about the Islamophobic backlash … you can just tell that borders are going to tighten up and a lot of migrants are going to suffer.- Zoë Caddell

"It's an interesting contrast, travelling with a Canadian passport, it's so easy and at the end of the day it's just a little black book."

In the days following the attack in Paris, Caddell sensed an almost tangible, grimmer change in atmosphere.

"I personally worry about the Islamophobic backlash and I know that what happened in Paris is an awful tragedy, but you can just tell that borders are going to tighten up and a lot of migrants are going to suffer," she said.

Caddell is blogging details of her journey on Youcaring.com/cycling4syrians.

"Feeling a little sad about what is still such a deeply complicated and dark situation but I was so happy to hear about the 1,500 Syrians that New Brunswick is taking in," she posted on Monday.

"I know we will welcome them with open arms in the spirit of Maritime generosity. I'm so proud; I hope that 1,500 is just the beginning."

Caddell's cycling trip is taking her through Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France, Monaco and Spain.

Every dollar contributed before Dec. 31 to the Red Cross Crisis Fund will be matched by the federal government.

The money matched will go to Canada's National Syria Emergency Relief Fund.