Riding a bicycle across Canada might seem daunting, but not for 70-year-old Walter Reich.
The Ontario man set off from Tofino, B.C., in April to raise money for Parkinson’s Canada.
Reich said he always wanted to travel across Canada on a bicycle just to see if he could do it.
“At the last minute, I decided I had to pedal anyway, so why not make a fundraiser out of it,” said Reich.
“The reason why I choose Parkinson’s is because in Parry Sound, [Ontario], there was a fundraiser the last five years through Parkinson’s, and I usually do the one-day riding for them.”
I'm in the Province of New Brunswick, over 6800km behind me. I will be making stops along the way in Fredericton, Sussex, Moncton & Port Elgin. Please help me make a difference and make a donation to my cause, every $ will help make a difference to those with Parkinsons's pic.twitter.com/lsiAbuZ3IX
— walterreich (@walterandgiant) July 14, 2019
Reich said he set the fundraising goal “really high” and is hoping to raise $50,000. He has cycled more than 6,800 kilometres so far and arrived in Fredericton, N.B., this week.
But Reich is not alone in his journey — his wife, Regula, is following along in the couple’s RV.
“I said ‘this is a great idea … go for it, as long as I don’t have to bike,'” she said with a laugh.
Reich said the weather has been challenging at times during his journey but the scenery makes up for it.
He will break for a few weeks later this month to visit family in Switzerland but hopes to reach Newfoundland in early October.
