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June 25, 2010
Ian Whatley and Ben Love are experienced cyclists but cycling from Victoria, B.C. to Halifax, Nova Scotia will be a grand journey, even for them.
When the two science students met working at a lab at the University of Guelph last summer they realized they shared a lifelong dream.
“We both had this idea that cycling 7000 kilometres across the country in nine weeks would make for an enjoyable summer,” says Whately.
Making the trip to raise money for dementia awareness and research—a disease that had affected two of Ian’s family members—set their plans in motion.
Ian watched his maternal grandmother and his paternal grandfather struggle with the onset of the disease.
“It was difficult watching my grandparents, who had taught me so much, living through the frustration and loneliness of this disease as they realized what was happening to their minds.”
After years of family support, both Ian’s grandmother and his grandfather needed to be placed in facility care. His grandfather passed away this past February.
“Every person that Ben and I meet has a connection to dementia. As the baby boomer generation ages it’s inevitable that the numbers are going to keep growing so we want to contribute to getting the word out and helping to fund research for a cure,” says Whatley.
Whatley and Love are raising funds for the Alzheimer Society and will be stopping at each of the Society’s ten provincial offices as they cycle across the country towards Nova Scotia. On June 25 they visited the Alzheimer Society of B.C. provincial office in Vancouver.
Whatley and Love have each done cycling trips, but a journey of this magnitude will be something very different.
“It will be a daily challenge, but it will be a case of mind over matter, taking one day at a time, or one peddle at a time as the case may be.”
Fittingly, Whatley’s description for the cross-country trip also describes the daily uphill challenges that people affected by the disease face on their journey.
“We have set a goal of raising $25,000 but we are really hoping to surpass that,” says Whatley.
To make a donation to Ian and Ben’s trip through the Alzheimer Society, or to follow them online as they cross the country go to http://www.acrossthenation.ca/.
