A Cross-Canada Ride of Hope
The Kindness of Strangers, available now
THREE COASTS. TEN THOUSAND KILOMETERS. SIXTY DAYS.
The Kindness of Strangers; Coast to Coast to Coast in 60 Days follows one man's battle with Parkinson's, and the unbelievable journey he took on his bike to fight it. From the rocky outcrops of the Maritimes to the frozen tundra of the Arctic, author Lloyd Taylor recounts his adventure as part of the Spinning Wheels Relay to End Parkinson's on their cross-Canada journey to inspire hope and raise awareness nationwide.
“What could one twitchy finger do to me?”
That was the question that brought Lloyd Taylor’s life crashing down when, at the age of fifty-three, he was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease. Terrified, Lloyd made a secret vow; do nothing, tell no one. That was until a chance meeting with a group of cyclists called the Rigid Riders, four “saddlebagged missionaries” on a slapdash cycling journey to Newfoundland, inspired him to fight back. In three weeks, riding through the rocky outcrops of the Atlantic, Lloyd’s tremors slowed and his heartbeat quickened. After a storm drove the bikers off the road, Lloyd and the team began planning a new ride, touching all three Canadian coasts in an epic journey against impossible odds, ringing the bell in communities across the country and starting a call to arms– for hands both shaky and still.
THE RIDE
Optimum Publishing has partnered with Pedaling For Parkinson’s and The Spinning Wheels Tour to present the story of their cross-country adventure raising funds and spreading awarness about Canada’s fastest growing neurological disease, helping to find a cure and ease the lives of those affected by Parkinson’s.
To follow along with this year’s ride, donate to the cause or join the riders on the road, click the link below.
PARKINSON’S, A BIKE & A DREAM
THE MAN ON THE BIKE
A formula racing champion, award winning environmentalist, self-made entreperneur and King Charles III Coronation Medal recipient, author Lloyd Taylor has run with the bulls in Spain and swam in the Arctic Ocean. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Lloyd turned the disease into an opportunity, helping to launch the Spinning Wheels Tour and biking all over Canada. Now, he brings reverent energy, undaunted humour, poignant vision and heartwrenching honesty to Optimum, sharing his story with the world in The Kindness of Strangers.
