After finishing a roughly 1,000-kilometre bicycle adventure together two years ago, Luis Nasim told Manny Alonso they should do something even bigger.
The two amateur cyclists from Montreal had just spent two weeks biking their way around the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec.
Nasim’s suggestion of something bigger was cycling across Canada.
Alonso agreed, but insisted the adventure be about more than themselves. They decided to make their cross-Canada venture means something more and chose to make it a fundraiser for prostate cancer research.
The two retirees left Victoria, B.C., on May 25 on what they dubbed “100 Days Across Canada.”
On Wednesday, after a few tire changes and bike tune-ups, they arrived in Corner Brook.
“For us, it’s important to send a message to men to check themselves out because, if you catch it earlier, there are all kinds of therapies that can save you,” said Nasim, 61. “If you don’t do anything about it, and it’s caught too late, it can be trouble.”
Alonso said their wives back home are crucial cogs in the wheels of this journey. They have been maintaining social media posts about their journey and have been arranging their accommodations along the way, including a free stay at Hotel Corner Brook.
“They have been calling ahead to see where we can stay and we have had many offers of free accommodations after people hear why we are doing this,” said Alonso.
That generosity has also come in the form of meals and donation along the way.
The duo has a goal of raising $50,000. So far, they have raised about $36,000.
They plan to dip their tires in the Atlantic Ocean at cape Spear, the most easterly point in Newfoundland on Sept. 1.
Weblinks
Read more about “100 Days Across Canada” or donate here: https://bit.ly/2GcXDam
