Moncton you are Wonderful! "Be...in this Place"

There have been times while writing on this blog that I've worried. I've worried that I do not represent a place to the calibre that they welcomed us and made a difference in the fight against cancer. Moncton is exactly one of these places. If you are ever looking for some of the friendliest, warmest-hearted people in this country come straight to Moncton, New Brunswick. Today, we officially were welcomed by the city of Moncton.

Realistically, I am going to have an extremely tough time leaving Moncton, as this place is really something special. I arrived at the city limits to be welcomed by a police officer on a motorcycle. Right away, he moved into the opposing lane traffic, and completely created a break in the traffic allowing for me to cross over. Little did I know that I would be met by 15 other cyclists that would ride in with me to City Hall. All of these cyclists shared a passion in wanting to make a difference in the fight against cancer. We traveled through the city of Moncton to be welcomed by two particular familiar faces. Both my father and mother were flown into Moncton by Alantic Lottery and the City of Moncton to be present at the arrival into this great city. I had no clue this was happening and was extremely shocked when this occurred. The utter shock and confusion when I first saw them really took me back...... at this point it had been quite some time since I had seen both of them and it was fairly emotional.

From there, we were greeted by Moncton's Deputy Mayor Merrill Henderson, Ian Fowler, and Atlantic Lottery's Brent Scrimshaw. The City of Moncton generously donated $500.00 and the Atlantic Lottery worked together to raise $2,200 to make a difference in the fight against cancer in the New Brunswick jurisdiction. While this was happening, there was a BBQ, along with many spectacular speeches.

I have to send a huge thank you out to the Scrimshaw's, and Fowler's, and all the volunteers of Atlantic Lottery, and the City of Moncton. You each made this welcome a highlight of my trip and I cannot wait to come back and see you all again.

Later that night, we were given a full on guide of Moncton. We experienced Magnetic Hill (wow... you really do travel uphill!) and a giant lobster, with our wonderful tour guide Amy & Ian Fowler. They were fantastic people and definitely showed us how to eat lobster properly. All in all, this city holds an extremely dear part of my heart as they really know how to make a difference in the fight against cancer!!!!!
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Moncton!

Rain Rain Rain.... yet somehow I continue to smile. Today was filled with series of heavy showers for around 170kms. At one point I felt a constant stream of water flowing off my face (it was quite nice sometimes as it provided a nice drinking fountain). I would look down and watch the water drip off my body and join the puddles on the road. Semis would pass me straying mist all over me, sometimes misting me so much that I was no longer visible. Yet the entire day all I could think was how lucky I am to be inspired by the people I have been. New Bruinswick has been quite the unique province as we have been sent several stories about those affected by this disease, each and every one of them makes me realize how fragile life is and how I need to appreciate every single day I have on the bike rain or shine. 

Today around 110kms into the ride I stopped into the RV just to chat with the team. While we were talking a knock hit the window. We were extremely confused as we were literally in the middle of nowhere. It was a man fully dressed in Military clothing..... initially I was extremely confused but when I went out to greet him, he was the kindest man. His name was Jeff and he had heard about the Chase on the radio and  saw us on his way to where is was stationed and wanted to make a donation. We chatted for a while and he absolutely lifted my spirits and gave me more strength to continue on my way. 

Now we are currently situated just outside of Moncton and will be riding in with members of the community football club to meet with the Deputy Mayor from the Coliseum  starting at 11:15am. I have to send a huge thank you out to the Atlantic Lottery Corporation volunteers for organizing this ride in and the BBQ which will follow. I encourage everyone in the Moncton area to come out to this ride in and make a difference in your community!!!!!!! 

Thank You Lavoie's

The last few days have been absolutely full of headwinds/rain/blown tires and beauty. I woke up in Grand Falls, New Brunswick yesterday to gloomy skies and headwinds. I changed over to my other rim and ate breakfast and was on my way. It was not 10kms before I had blown both my tubes inside the tires and the spare I had replaced it with. I was frustrated with the tire I had put on as it was the same one that blew 6 tubes in Saskatchewan in one day, so I removed the entire rubber and replaced it and was on my way (yet again later than expected).

It was not 20kms after changing my tire I was in a torrential downpour. The shoulders I was riding on were flooded, and I was wet as a dog. Yet, for some reason this is my highlight of my ride yesterday. Maybe because I was in desperate need of a shower and this was the closest I was getting to one.

Yet, as I traveled I kept checking my bike as I was feeling drag. My intial thought was "Oh no, this bike rim is bent, too!" but every time I looked it seemed to be okay. I blew yet another tire so I changed it. In total so far I had traveled 100kms from Grand Falls to a small gas station off Highway #2. It was here I was feeling dog tired and confused.... I really thought my body was breaking down badly and was beginning to worry. I got back on the bike and started moving again when my back tire seized up. I looked, and sure enough it was a bent back tire. Frustrated, I tried adjusting the brakes several times until I gave up and removed my back brakes all together.

This is when the post-storm heat wave swept in. With humidity and scorching hot heat, I was dripping and sweating. I was still hoping to get to Fredericton which was 100kms away. I slogged my way up and down hills, nearly got mauled by three dogs, and traveled through some very interesting countryside on HWY 104.

By the time I had reached Fredericton I was dead exhausted, but I had realized that I had drawn off the Lavoie's, a family who emailed me the night before this crazy day. They encouraged me in so many ways with what Chase the Cure was doing. Yet, I really felt they were an inspirational family to me. They have gone through a lot together when their son was diagnosed with cancer, and forced to loose his right leg above the knee, yet he never backed down. I truly felt what I was going through today was not comparable, in the least, to this. I thought of how courageous this boy is as he is a true hero to me and someone I really do look up to. I cannot thank you enough for contacting me as I truly believe I would not have had it in me to reach my destination due to all the mishaps. Yet, you kept the pedals turning for me and my spirits high.

New Brunswick!!!

The last couple of days, the weather has not cooperated completely. At times, because of the clouds and scenery, it has almost looked like we were traveling through areas of Lord of the Rings.

Yesterday, I traveled toward Riviere Du-Loup in very strong winds and rain (I like to say they were 30km winds... but i really don't know). They were the worst headwinds to-date. It was a struggle, but I drew off the beautiful terrain, and the Budge family who is following my ride from the United States. They have been affected by this disease and I pedaled through with their help. There was one town where there was a bike route right along the St. Lawrence, and the tide had ebbed out and a sail boat was sitting just on the ground. I must say, it is wonderful to be back in the land of tides :). Yet, due to the weather, I was only able to rack off 100kms, which was extremely frustrating.

Today I moved from Riviere Du Loup into Grand Falls, New Brunswick. Prior even to getting back onto the Trans Canada (which, until this point, I was always able to ride on) confusion set in due to a sign not allowing bikers. According to the maps we had, there were no alternative routes..... yet after traveling on it for a while I hopped off and found the 191 which linked up with the Trans Canada later on where you were able to bike.

We traveled out into very little wind today, yet something just didn't seem right all day long on my bike. I couldn't figure it out. I crossed the New Brunswick border (which was 100kms away from my starting point) exhausted.

Here, i had a quick 20-minute nap, and met up with a guy from Scotland who was also riding across from Vancouver to Halifax. He had some extremely funny stories especially of the mosquito bites he had never heard of before his trip. One night he counted 96 bites which he reacted extremely poorly to. He eventually found After Bite, but had an allergic reaction to this. He was a delight to travel with as we talked for a few hours I had forgotten about my problem from earlier.

Finally, after leaving him and continuing on my way, I found out my problem after traveling down a hill. My back wheel completely seized up, and I discovered my brake pads were more worn than normal and the back rim was bent. It turned out the reasoning behind my exhaustion today was a bent back rim which rubbed on my brakes all day. Yet, somehow I still managed to travel 190kms.

I thought I would put a funny sign on here that we saw. A town name was St-Louis-Du-Ha! Ha! (all of that including the "Ha! Ha!" the town name. We took quite the enjoyment out of this after discovering it :)

Goodnight all for now, and let's keep making a difference :)

Alouette welcome

Yesterday night, we were welcomed by the Montreal Alouettes at their home game. I would like to send a special thanks out to Olivier Poulin, Shawn Taylor, Allan, and the Alouettes for inviting us to come and encourage fans of the Als to make a difference in the fight against cancer. Prior to the game we were welcomed onto the field with an introduction to a sell-out crowd at Stade Percival Molson. The Alouettes generously donated a replica autographed helmet which will be auctioned off after the ride to gain more funds for the Quebec jurisdiction.

Prior to this game, I had an interview with Bernard from CBC Radio in Montreal. We went through a regular interview, but in turn there was a little bit of a surprise for me as they had phoned my father earlier that day. He encouraged me to keep riding, and it was extremely nice to get this surprise while on-air.

Today we moved out of Quebec City where the ride was situated and into a town called St. Jean-Port-Joli. Tomorrow, we will land either in Riviere-Du-Loup, or cross the border into New Brunswick. It is extremely beautiful to ride through this countryside, as you always have the St. Lawrence on your left hand side and lush lush fields flowing down towards the St. Lawrence. The cycling is great with 8ft shoulders. Stay tuned as we continue to travel along the St. Lawrence and this gorgeous countryside

QUEBEC CITY!!!!!

Initially leaving Montreal was tough as we had met up with some friends that really sent warm homely feelings through all of us, it was a gorgeous day and we were situated at a beautiful lake! Before we left we were welcomed to Waffles, bacon and fruit it was delicious!!!! 

Initially when I started riding out of the Montreal Area I thought my body was extremely exhausted, yet I started to travel through gorgeous country and felt absolutely rejuvenated. Yet from a cycling standpoint, Quebec has been the friendliest place to cycle. All the way from the boarder to Quebec City I was given the luxury of traveling on a 8ft shoulder next to the gorgeous St. Lawrence river. There is a bunch of great cycling routes throughout Quebec called the Route Verte (The Green Route), these travel from city to city through low traffic backroads through gorgeous country. I managed to get onto one of this on my way to Trois Riviere and again today to Quebec city. All throughout these two days I weaved along the St. Lawrence where I was next to massive cargo boats, sail boats, and through gorgeous farm country, and at one point I was under canopy trees covering the road right next to the road. The entire time I was thinking "Wow what did I do to deserve this!"

What a beautiful city Quebec is! I really believe this is the most historical city we have been to yet. As we traveled through the streets of old Quebec you have a feeling you are in Europe, than you see cobblestone streets, extravagant buildings and Blue Quebec and Red and White Canadian flags everywhere. There are statues everywhere along the cobblestone walkways of many influential figures (Such as Ghandi!!!) 

Horse carriages travel the streets and there are people crowding the streets walking everywhere. 

We are meet up with Michael who is a News Print Reporter in Old Quebec City. We met up at this neat cafe in downtown Quebec and just sat and chatted about everything that has taken place over the last two and half months. He was extremely enjoyable to be around and really conducted a wonderful interview 

Today I was listening to Try hard by the Lytics and a line really stuck out to me. "When I cash my first cheque I am going to give it all back." To give a little bit of background information on this group they are from Winnipeg. While I was there they played at a fundraiser and gave Chase the Cure their first cheque that they had made as a group. I was just thinking how difficult that is to do a band "trying to make it". Most of the times all the funds gained are used to make you bigger. Yet this time the members of the Lytics realized how important it is to give back if we all follow the lead of this young group who play phenomenal music will make tremendous steps in finding a cure to this disease. Click here to check out their tunes 

Tomorrow we will travel back to Montreal via our RV to be welcomed at the Montreal Allouttes home game. We are most definitely excited about this opportunity to associate ourselves with the Alloutes. But for the meantime I will leave you with me being a flower in a flower pot! 

OF MONTREAL!!!!

I have been trying to blog for the last few days but unable to upload some pictures until now!!! We left Ottawa Friday and traveled through the little bit we had left of Ontario. I let the RV go ahead as I knew they needed a break from "RV Living" and to get out and do something enjoyable. I wrote my directions, and headed off, not even thinking about a map.

Well, let me say that my Google directions completely failed me and I ended up doing an extra 50kms of riding and had great difficulty getting out of Ontario. I went back and forth looking for a road from Clarence Creek, to Clarence about 4 times. I must admit, it was a bit frustrating as I couldn't seem to find the road I was looking for. So, I phoned my brother to help me out. As I was calling him I found a Bike Route sign, and followed it. This was a huge mistake also, as it ended up winding me through country roads (both pavement and dirt) with nothing around me (except my dead cell phone). Now I began to look off in the distance and for buildings that might have a phone. I managed to get to one town and called my brother to come meet up with me. From here on, we managed to travel to LaChute which is just on the other side of Quebec!

After arriving in LaChute we decided to take a road that was longer, but what we thought was less busy. Needless to say, this was an uphill battle at the end of the day. We traveled through gorgeous lake country but the problem was, it was a Friday so traffic was a little greater than we expected. That is when we met a man by the name of Brian Potter! This man completed the cross-country trip in 2006. We spent the night talking about our trips and he hit all the desires I had.... shower, hot tub, and delicious food. I cannot thank Michelle and Brian so much for their hospitality!

The next morning, I started the downhill toward St. Jerome which is just outside of Montreal.

We moved into Montreal the following day, which was not far from where we were! We met up with the Cardins who are some fantastic people

Today we will be traveling toward Quebec City!!!!!

A night with Senator Zimmer and Cst. Josh Kardolus

I cannot say I have met someone that I listened intently to every word they said, watched their generous actions, and thought about how everything they were saying made sense. This completely sums up my thoughts about Senator Rod Zimmer.

This man went above and beyond anything I could of envisioned for coming to Ottawa. After the media event at Parliament, Rod told us that he wanted to meet up with us later on for dinner. Not only did he organize parking for our RV on Parliament Hill (overnight also), he showed us what Ottawa was truly about. The entire night you could not wipe the smiles off the faces of Brodie, Ashley or I. The stories Rod told were phenomenal. He is such an entertainer. At one point in the evening he even got up from our table to show us some dancing moves (I am planning on utilizing these).

We went out to this delicious buffet downtown Ottawa. You name it, everything was there. I piled food on to four plates and absolutely was stuffed by the end of it. From there we moved to a Irish pub where we talked, told stories, and shared laughs. I don't even know where to start with the stories Mr. Zimmer told (all I know is that he needs to write a book. It's guaranteed to be a best-seller)!

It was getting late (around one in the morning) but Rod wanted to take us into Parliament and show us around. We walked through the doors and were greeting by Josh, who was the guard we met the previous night. Josh and Rod took us to the Red Room where all the bills for Parliament are passed currently. We were given information on the entire building. Let me tell you, a lot of thought went into this building. Josh had many stories to tell.

My favorite story had to be of the Viking faces in the main foyer. When parliament was built it was carefully thought out and beautiful sculptures of faces were carved on the pillars. The request of parliament was that there was 6 viking faces to be carved to represent part of our heritage. The artists worked diligently and asked if they would be able to sign their work after they were finished. Parliament wanted nothing of this even though it would not be noticeable. Well, needless to say at the revealing of all the face sculptures there were two viking carved faces and the two carvers faces within these. Since they were unable to carve their names in they carved their face into the stone. The thing is, there is a law Parliament passed that once something is carved into the stone it cannot be removed, so these carvers faces still exist to this day in the main foyer. The There were pictures taken of us in the Governor General's chair, yet more importantly in Senator Rod Zimmer's chair.

From there Rod had to leave, but Josh (who is one great guy!) said that he would take us over to the Heritage Building to show us around there! We moved from Canada's first Prime Minister's, (Sir John A. MacDonald) room through the first Governor General's room, to the Privy Council room where many major decisions regarding Canada occurred. Every room we walked into sent us goosebumps, and as Josh explained more and more we were just amazed at how much history was involved in this building. It was so neat going through this building in the early hours of the morning with no crowds and a phenomenal gentleman in Josh.

We cannot thank Josh and Senator Zimmer enough for this experience as it was extremely exciting to us.

Canadian Senator Rod A. A Zimmer Welcomes the Chase!

Senator Rod A. A. Zimmer (or should I say the ever so fashionable Rod Zimmer) is one of the most charismatic men I have ever met in my life. He brings joy to every situation. Right away when I met him in front of the media, he made the feeling of camera's being present go away and brought a huge smile to my face. I went to give him a handshake and he did not accept yet rather gave me a hug. This is when I first saw the quality of this man. His initial question was, "When are you supposed to arrive in St John's, Newfoundland?" I told him it would be August 15th. He smirked and said, "Well, I am going to write a cheque for August 15th for $1,000. If you get there on the 15th you can have it for your cause. If you don't, then the cheque is gonzo." The reason he said this was he felt that he knew no matter what I would make myself get there for the 15th, and I can say that I know I will. Directly after that, he grabbed my bike, and a senator was off riding on Parliament Hill. It was great to see him cruising past the Peace Tower and the staircase leading to Parliament. The other thing that he really stuck with me is the fact that he said he is going to try and make it to St. John's Newfoundland for the end of the ride.

The neat thing about coming to Ottawa to meet Senator Zimmer, was the history he had with my father. Both Rod and my father were diagnosed with throat cancer two days apart. Without accepting the idea of giving up, they had entered a sort of "brotherhood" with each other, and got in contact. Throughout their treatments they talked regularly, and encouraged each other, and held each other's spirits up. Rod was a huge inspiration in my father's fight, and I believe was a crucial part to my father's success in his fight. It was a rather emotional experience for me to spend this time with this remarkable man and I am ever so grateful for everything he did for our family. Today Rod is also healthier than ever and has an unbelievable appreciation for life.

Last night, we traveled to Parliament to see a light show that takes place during the summer. Here we met a guard just outside the Senators' building. He talked passionately about Canadian history, and former prime ministers. One thing that was really neat was he told us how these buildings were haunted and he attested to seeing one of the ghosts in the building he was in. Below are some pictures from the light show (they also talked about the history of Canada with images they placed on the centre Parliament Building) as well as the Centennial Flame.

Oh Boy! We're coming Ottawa... There are just some ditches...

Well, we have managed to weave our way through back roads from Toronto to the nation's capital of Ottawa. I will set out a little bit of a recap:

Sunday, we left the Greater Toronto Area with some advice given to us by a fellow cyclist we met up with on the road. He told us it was in our best interest to take Highway 11 Northbound. Initially, it seemed like a great idea, with its dreamy 8 ft. shoulders. Soon, however, those 8 ft. shoulders shrunk and we were stranded on a 1 ft. shoulder with rumble strips. This is not the most comfortable ride. We decided to pull out the map and check out the back roads. For any cyclists moving out of the busy southern Ontario toward Ottawa, I highly suggest doing this. The people on these roads were extremely friendly. Many pulled over to show their support, and again there were a lot of waves, honks, and thumbs up out of the sunroof! I think the highlight of this day for me was when a man who is in the Military stopped with his wife to show their support.

The following day, I had set a goal to reach Ottawa. Through back roads it was nearly 230 km., which I thought was completely possible. Especially, with the low amount of traffic that flowed through the roads we were taking. These roads were absolutely stunning, lush forests that you could smell while you were biking. We were around 30 km. outside of Calabogie which is a small town about 80 km. outside of Ottawa. My brother decided since the roads were great he was going to hop on a bike and ride with me for a bit. We were cruising along having a great time. Little did we know that Ashley (the in-ride coordinator and tentative driver at this point) had a massive scheme set up to get public attention.

Brodie and I were climbing a hill when we heard an alarming noise.... a mean honk on the horn from the RV trying to attract as much attention as possible. I turned around to be frightened about what was unfolding before my eyes. Ashley's media scheme was in full force with the RV at a 45 degree angle, which happened in this case to be the angle of destruction.... I came back down the hill to a terrified media girl who was completely stunned. We removed her from the RV to ensure we could properly pitch this event to the public. This is where her plan really took off, and cars would stop and say something like "Seems like you fell a little short. Should have cut it closer." We even felt like at points we should have offered the public popcorn, as they were very entertained. We definitely garnered the attention. We had one tow truck come and he claimed it was too complex for him to pull out. That's when we met someone who we cannot thank enough for what he did:
Hans Van Den Hun, a 69-year-old Dutchman with a heart of gold.

Right away he was problem solving this puzzle, asking us questions about how full the fresh water was, how full our septic was, how much gas was in the RV, etc. He was quickly calculating the proper angle required for successfully pulling the RV out. We waited for a kind police officer to meet us to barricade traffic off so Hans could get our RV to safety.

His massive tow truck completely pulled our "home" to safety. It came to payment time, and normally these specialty case tows would cost upwards of $500. Hans told us everyone needs money to make a living. He claimed, "I need money to live, yet there are times in life where you just need to give." He also told us what we were doing was something close to his heart as he is a cancer survivor himself. That is when I tried to pay the man and he claimed that our money was no good to him and he was just grateful everyone was okay and thanked us for what we were doing. Then he was off with a sound of his horn and wave as he passed us. We cannot thank Hans enough for his generosity and heart of gold. If you ever need a tow and you're near Renfrew, call 613-432-5332 and Hans will take tremendous care of you!

Now, since this publicity stunt occurred, we were forced to spend the night Calabogie. We have to send a thank you out to Bob for waving the fees for us to stay in his campground! This morning we woke and traveled through backroads again straying away from ditches! Today's highlight had to be a family in a van who hollered out the window as they passed and then stopped ahead and clapped as I passed them. They made my day, and I cannot thank them enough!!! We're now in Ottawa safe and sound with an intact (not crumbled) RV :)

What a Wonderful World

Before I even begin I highly encourage you to click here to watch the TSN feature on Chase the Cure 

There are times in your life that you feel so alive, you feel the energy, happiness, and gratefulness for life running through all of your body. You take every moment and look and see what a great country we live in, the people, the scenery and the true beauty of our world. A lot of the time this is lost in rushing from place to place, deadlines, and stress. Initially my introduction to Toronto was not close to that great! I entered the city and was walking around downtown to be pooped directly on the head by a seagull.... little did I know this was good luck considering the great response I received from this city (Below is a picture right after I got pooped on) 

Today was a extremely important day to Chase the Cure. We were being welcomed at the Toronto Argonaut Home game during the Halftime show. Yet before we were scheduled to meet up with a group of individuals raising funds for Chase the Cure. These individuals started a program 5 years ago called CFL Fans Fight Cancer . These individuals collectively raised over $300 for Chase the Cure through a 50/50. 

Let me say something about these individuals each and everyone of them were emotionally empowered to make a difference by those close to them effected by this disease. One man in particular was spoken of named Garry, while they talked about him you were able to see the impact this man left on these individuals. You could tell that every member here in Toronto of CFL Fans fight cancer carried Garry's legacy and passion for fighting back against this disease with them. You were able to tell the quality of a person Garry was, and still is as I truly believe he has taught these people so much about life and making a difference that a part of him lives in everyone there! I personally was able to see the passion Garry carried when it came to fighting cancer and decided it was a honor to dedicate the ride out of Toronto to a true difference maker in the fight against cancer. As I travel I will rely on Garry to give me the strength to continue to pedal towards Ottawa and carry the stories of these people I met with me as I travel.  

From here we traveled into the beautiful Roger Center where we were being welcomed by the Toronto Argonauts. I have to say again I was shown complete class by this organization, Steve Whidden organized the Chase the Cure presentation on behalf of the Argo's and did a great job. On cue I rode my bike right onto the field of the Skydome and was welcomed by clapping and cheers for this ride that so many have made possible. I was met by Bob Nicholson President and CEO of the Toronto Argonauts and a rather large Cheque for Chase the Cure in the Ontario region of $2,500, and a autographed Toronto Argonaut helmet which will be auctioned off to raise more funds for the Ontario district to fight back against this disease! I cannot thank the staff of the Toronto Argonauts for all they have done for Chase the Cure and wish them nothing but success in the 2009 season! The argo's and the CFL Fans Fight Cancer just go to show how large of a family this league actually is, everyone competes extremely hard for the Grey Cup but when it comes to something like cancer we drop our colors and compete together! 

Yesterday was a great day as we traveled from place to place throughout Toronto completing   media interviews. One thing that showed me about every interview we had was how passionate the host was about Chase the Cure, they truly believed that we would find a cure to this disease as Canadians if we just kept making a difference. We ended the night off on the LeDrew Live talk show. This was the first time I was to be on a live talk show. I was really excited about having the opportunity to spread the word of Chase the Cure with LeDrew. Honestly though, this was one of the toughest interviews to date. There was this little ear piece in my ear which the producer of the show was talking to LeDrew telling him what to ask me as I was answering my questions. It was tough to focus on what you were saying while you were thinking about the next question. Yet somehow LeDrew kept me in a comfortable setting and focused allowing me to maintain focus and conduct a great interview I cannot thank them enough for this opportunity to spread the word and encourage Canadians to make a difference (a picture of LeDrew is shown below).

The past few days have been days where you appreciate everything. To start everything off we arrived in Hamilton and were absolutely taken care of by Karen, Nikki, Stef and Bella. All of these individuals really made our stay in Hamilton extra special, cookies, breakfast, lunch, and great conversations sum up some of these experiences we had while staying with these individuals. Not only did they do this but prior to us arriving they organized a triathlon in support of Chase the Cure titled "Tri and Make a Difference". They most definitely made a difference in creating this. We cannot thank them enough for their hospitality and kindness they showed towards us. 

Goodnight for now and keep making a difference as we will find a cure to this terrible disease 

A Tiger-Cat Welcome!

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats created an absolutely wonderful welcome for Chase the Cure today! Right away, as soon as I arrived, I was met by a familiar face who came out of the dressing room to greet me: Kevin Glenn. What a class act this man is. I cannot talk enough about this man and his great characteristics; he is a true gentleman! Immediately after cruising into Ivor Wynne Stadium Nick Setta, the kicker of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, came up and was thrilled with what I was doing. I began to realize that this team is really composed of fantastic people!

After watching a little bit of practice, I was asked to speak to the entire football team. This, I have to say, was one of the most nerve racking situations I have found myself in thus far. Yet, all of these players made a difference and encouraged me while I spoke. The main message I tried to send to them was that they can really make a difference in this fight. They have so many people, of all ages, looking up to them and whatever they want to accomplish they can. I told them that anyone can be affected by this disease, and gave them examples of a 4-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a 50-year-old, a football player (...and many more) and explained that this disease is everywhere! I tried to get the point across that we can band together as members of Canada to encourage everyone to make a difference and end the pain once and for all. Following this, Chase the Cure was given a cheque for $1,500 from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and an autographed helmet which will be auctioned off to benefit the Ontario portion of the funds to fight back against this disease.

It was extremely neat to break down the practice at the end by being surrounded by the entire team and asked to yell Tiger-Cats on three...... and having these men follow. Again I cannot thank all of the players, and staff of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats enough. A few names stick out in particular: Scott Mitchell, Shawn Burke and Erin who all set up this wonderful event for Chase the Cure. I wish the Tiger-Cats the best as they travel to Vancouver to play the BC Lions this week!!!!!

LAKE HURON BEAUTY

For the past few days, I have been cruising along the shores of Lake Huron. I am astonished by this province's beauty. If there is no lake around you (which is rare) there is lush forest, marshland.

We left Sault Ste. Marie a few days ago and traveled one of the scariest stretches to date for 100km until we re-routed down HWY 6. Before this there seemed to be a never ending stream of semis on a one-lane road with a foot shoulder all against a headwind :). After turning south to go toward a ferry, we traveled a gorgeous island of Manitoulin Island. We weaved in and out of shorelines of Huron and eventually reached a small town called Little Current. I was excited as for up to this point a headwind was blowing directly towards me and I had to veer left. But sure enough after traveling around 15kms towards the South Baymouth Ferry I was struck by a heavy headwind and terrible roads. By then, I was 150kms into my ride and a little tired, but kept trudging. At one point I unclipped my pedals and draped my body exhausted over the handlebars. Yet again I was encouraged by a honk, so I proceeded to clip my feet back in and continue to the ferry! We were lucky enough to catch the 5:30pm ferry and caught up to many vehicles who had passed me earlier in the day (this was somewhat satisfying).

How exhausted I was when I reached the ferry can only be displayed in one picture. This is me sleeping on the cafeteria table (I slept here for an hour and half, and the ferry ride is two hours.... I managed to see a little bit though :) ) The people who were eating behind me told me when I woke up I was snoring....

The ferry took us to a town called Tobermory. This small town was lively as can be; live music, beautiful boats, and people everywhere. What we didn't realize was how close we were to Toronto.

The next day, we traveled from Tombermory, ON, to Owen Sound. The unique thing about all the towns around Lake Huron is they have all these old style buildings everywhere! Some even are covered in vines that have traveled up over the summer!!!

Another thing I have noticed about Ontario is that no matter how busy the roads are, people are excited about this ride. Even just today I must have had 50 honks, and I have found that the people of Ontario utilize their sunroofs very well by throwing a thumbs up through the roof or a wave. My ultimate favorite was a lady who leaned out of her window and clapped. This brought a smile to my face as I thought about how it's really not me doing this (as I am not capable of completing a task of this magnitude), it's those who have inspired me along this ride.

Today, we made the stretch from Owen Sound to Barrie, ON, which is just outside of Toronto. Again this was a gorgeous stretch right along Huron with some gorgeous views to distract us. Yet, since it was Sunday, the traffic was crazy, with bumper to bumper cars (and a small shoulder, yet again)!!! We will be here for the next while to be welcomed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts. I cannot wait!!!!! Make sure to watch the Brian Williams Feature on Chase the Cure on TSN (right before friday night football) on July 10th!!!!

So long for now. Have a wonderful NIGHT :)

Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie now has a special place in my heart, after meeting some phenomenal people in this city who made our stay extremely special. There were several highlights, including walking around the boardwalks next to the river downtown, and setting up to gain donations at the Canada Day Festival.

On our arrival day, I was approached by three lovely girls who were excited about what we were doing with Chase the Cure, and generously donated. We further chatted about the Sault and the uniqueness of this city.

The next morning we woke up early and traveled downtown to see what this city had to offer. It had an older downtown with some beautiful buildings. One thing I realized was how much this city loves its pizza. It felt like I was seeing more pizza restaurants than people within the city! Just off the St. Mary's River we found this huge table with two chairs...... I sat there for the remainder of the morning waiting for my lunch date (She never showed).

Later that day, we went back to the coffee shop to work yet again on some of the logistics of the Chase. Here we met a girl by the name of Alex. She was one of the kindest, charismatic people we have on this trip, to date. After hearing what we have been up to this summer she invited us to a get together with a bunch of her friends. We arrived to meet a mass of wonderful people, and played Cranium into the early hours of the morning.

We woke up the next morning and traveled to set up at "Celebrate Canada" (the local Canada Day festival). Here we were met by Summer, the festival's organizer. She was an absolutely wonderful woman. We set up our RV right next to the water. Unfortunately the weather was not the best on this Canada Day, and the rain had different plans. Yet, before the skies opened we met many generous individuals of Sault Ste Marie. My favorite couple that came up to us were this gentleman and lady. After giving an extremely generous donation the guy proceeded to rap to us. It most definitely brought a smile to my face as he was extremely funny.

One unique thing we started to do was to have those who have been affected by cancer or lost a loved one to this disease to write their names on the handle bars of my bike to take them on this journey with me. This brought a lot of emotion to those who wrote the names of those they loved and have passed from this terrible disease.

After this, we traveled to Alex's friend's cottage (who we had met the night before at the games fiasco night). It was here we were told to look for this pig to find her cottage. And on this night, we met yet another group of friends. We swam in a misty Superior, and had a delicious supper. I cannot thank these people enough for their generosity and letting us into their homes.

I am a firm believer you can tell how great a person is through their friends. While sitting at a coffee shop in Sault Ste. Marie, I met Alex and Paul who were two young individuals beaming with life. We got talking, and I told them what I was doing. They immediately told me of a girl named Victoria, who is currently fighting in Sault Ste. Marie. By the way they talked about Victoria, you could tell that she had greatly impacted their lives, as well of the lives of others I hadn't yet met. For these reasons, I would like to dedicate my ride out to Victoria, as I travel you will be my inspiration to keep going. I have written your name on the front of my handlebars along with others that have been effected by this disease as a reminder of the strength and courage you have shown in your fight.

Together We Ride.... with Victoria