The ear shattering rumbling of the tractor trailer truck faded as the truck disappeared around the corner, my first thoughts were; I’m dead; I’m hurt bad, what the hell am I doing in this god-forsaken desert riding an overloaded bicycle all alone? Snakes? Yikes I could be laying on one. I jumped up grabbed my bike, checked for traffic and made a 50 metre dash to the next corner where there was a wider gravel shoulder to take temporary shelter and get my wits together. Moments later looking back down the Highway 93, back towards Wickenburg Az the town I had started my 2800 km journey from less then 5 hours previous, I thought to myself; what the hell am I doing? the near death experience just moments before was messing with my confidence, filling me with self-doubt.
Fast forward one year later; its 9:00am and I am 7km east of the town of Clavet Saskatchewan, it is 19 below with a 30 km wind from the East, my water bottle was already frozen and I am attempting to fix my second flat tire since leaving Clavet one hour previous, again I was loosing confidence, overcome by a feeling of self-doubt, what the hell was I doing in the middle of the Canadian prairies on a Fat Bike in March? My hands were numb from cold and I was struggling to get the tire bead to seat properly.

As was the case a year before, I persevered, dug deep, concentrated on blocking out the bad vibes, I thought about the reasons why I was attempting the ride. I thought about the people I know and the ones I don’t know that are living with MS and about the challenges and hard ships they face and cant do anything about, and I persevered, kept my eye on the target and my mind on positive thoughts.

Today at my Rotary meting our club president delivered his convocation address by quoting a passage which was thought to be from Goethe but turns out it is from a lesser know author and adventurist, William Hutchinson; it speaks to attaining goals through true-commitment, listening to Rich’s address I came to a realization as to how I got through all those rough days on my bike rides to end MS. I thought I was just plain old stubborn and maybe a bit crazy (as most others think), but now I know the answer is really just, commitment. Commitment to a cause I truly believe in.
If you are truly committed to something, anything is possible, the sky is the limit, you can and will do great things. Find something you are passionate about, set a goal and do it;,,,,Begin it now! You can!

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back– Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”