Cycle of Hope- A Trip of a Lifetime

The Summer Olympics may be over but the finish line is still in the distance for Canadian Cory Welsh. Cory is on Day 52 of his cycle across Canada to help spread awareness and raise money for Parkinson's disease, which his father was diagnosed with in 2007. Starting in Vancouver at the end of June, Cory is expected to arrive in Halifax on Labour Day Monday with a fundraising target of $50,000.

Cory Welsh's Cycle of Hope

Cory's inspirational journey has him trudging through the Rockies, blasting by the Prairies and spending his nights as a guest in homes of families affected by Parkinson's. The rain, severe wind and at times excruciating heat makes the average trip of 140-170 km a day even more daunting than it already is, but Cory is lucky to have his girlfriend and best friend close, as they split the safety car responsibilities half and half. While the mission is something that has been done before but not very often, Cory feels biking across the second largest country (in size) is his calling, and a great way to get people talking about the disease.

As Day 52 comes to a close the local communities gather in Cambridge to welcome Cory at Moose Winooski's; a Canadian inspired restaurant and bar that is built like a log cabin mansion with a massive moose at the front door. The restaurant owners have set up an Oktoberfest and hot dog BBQ donation stand while a fondant cake representing his journey is divvied up for the 50 or so guests in the crowd. Cory speaks with great passion and honesty, as his speech evokes simple but effective measures that can get people thinking about Parkinson's disease. His tactics have proved viable; when three year old Lyncoln found out Cory was passing by on his bike he felt compelled to ride with him because his grandfather too is diagnosed with the disease. "Lincoln is my inspiration" says Cory, as they both enjoy the rest period of the day. Cory's Cycle for Hope has raised over $30,000 and brought wide attention to something that can happen to anyone having been featured in various news stories in the media.

Cory and Lyncoln

There is still no cure for Parkinson's Disease, and many people have limited knowledge of it's effects to the body. Cory himself said "Before my dad was diagnosed I definitely heard about it - shaky hands, shaky speech...I knew Muhammad Ali and Michael J Fox had it.. .but I didn't know much else". If you happen to fall in that category here are some big tips on spotting the signs:

• Tremor (involuntary muscle contraction)
• Slowness and Stiffness
• Impaired balance
• Soft speech 
• Problems handwriting
• Stooped posture

Please support the Cycle of Hope in any way you can by donating, following the journey or a simple shout out to keep those affected going strong. 

Moose Winooski's

Good luck to you Cory, your family and your country is very proud of you. Finish strong on the way to Halifax!

xoxo,

For more information please visit:

http://www.pdcycle.com/#!home/mainPage

Follow Cory's blog at: 

http://parkinsonscycleofhope.blogspot.ca/

Follow Cory on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Parkinsons-Cycle-of-Hope/162105320559401

And follow him on Twitter!

@corywelsh9