The trip was Nikki’s idea. A few days before our usual after-work ride Nikki told me that she had something important to ask me. We started biking and she just blurted out “Would you like to bike across Canada together?”. I was truly shocked and then a huge smile came across my face. I almost crashed into her. Since my spinal cord injury in 2009, I have found exercise to be essential to both my physical and mental health. I was an athlete before my injury. I’m still an athlete.

In 2010, just over a year after my injury, I completed the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon in my manual wheelchair using power assist Emotion Wheels. I was dead last, by a lot, and way over the allowable time limit. I was still heading out when the other runners were returning. They all cheered me on! The support was incredible. The police kept the Gardiner Expressway closed for an extra hour to allow me to finish. I proceeded to complete over 10 half marathons in my wheelchair each time just barely making the time limit and always last. I have no hand function so I rely on friction to push. If it rained I was unable to continue with the race until it stopped. I had the opportunity to compete in many different cities throughout North America and had many wonderful experiences. But I wanted to go faster, I wanted to go further, I wanted to do a full Marathon, but this time I wanted to do it without power assist. In late 2013 I purchased a lie-down, top-end racing Handcycle. I was training on the roller but had never taken it outside. I had not figured out braking, shifting, or steering. So I signed up for the 2014 Miami Half Marathon and went to Florida with my handcycle. The race was amazing! I did it all with my own power and I did it almost half the time, well under the time limit. And I was ok in the rain. I was hooked. I signed up for race after race and in late 2014 I finished the Detroit full marathon. I have finished 6 full and 24 half marathons.

Hand cycling opened a whole new world for me. I always wanted to handcycle across Canada but it wasn’t physically possible. With limited hand and arm function and no triceps, I was slow compared to other cyclists. Hills were really difficult and I would often climb them at 2 km/hr. I would never get over the mountains and it would take way too long. Maybe I could do it in stages over a few years? It just didn’t seem possible. In 2018 I purchased a Batec power assist hand cycle which attaches directly to my wheelchair. It helped me get up hills and made me faster but it still required me to be cranking to move. I could attach and detach independently so I was not relying on other people to be able to outside to cycle. It was an amazing exercise and I could bike with my 8-year-old son. Another world opened up. It was perfect. I was able to cycle every day, which I did.

Could I use this to bike across Canada? It would require a support team to follow. I wouldn’t be able to cycle by myself day after day for hours at a time alone with no assistance. It became physically possible but not practical. I never considered that someone would want to bike with me. Cycling across Canada is a monumental achievement for any cyclist. Attempting it with a quadriplegic would be insane. During the worldwide pandemic, NikkiD (It’s really just Nikki but this is my nickname for her) became one of my closest friends and biking buddy. Every week we find time to bike together. “Would you like to bike across Canada together?”. It was initially hard to believe that it was something she wanted to do, let alone was willing to do. I looked over and saw in her eyes that she was serious. And then I almost crashed into her. I was so happy. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. As soon as she asked, it just seemed possible. It is going to be the experience of a lifetime. I am so happy that I am able to share it with my best friend. It is possible.