Dear Friends

I am writing to thank you collectively for your incredible generosity donating $13,955.00 to support People Living with AIDS through the Friends for Life bike rally this year. For those of you who have supported me in the past the 3 year total is more than $40,000.00. Such generosity of spirit is overwhelming. I carried each and every one of you with me to Montreal. The burden was light, and worn with gratitude for your presence in my life. Your loving hearts truly were with mine, your breath my wind.

Each journey has been wonderful, this year's perhaps more so because my brother, Keith, and my sister-in-law, Susan, rode with me. These two fine athletes are my inspiration, and have helped guide me to become the rider that I am. It was a deeply emotional 6 days.

I have enclosed some pictures of the Ride below.

     

       Family gathered on Departure Day - Keith, Simone, Jessica, Gary, Sue, Sue's brother Paul

We are all wearing beautiful red leather ribbons crafted by my friends Damien and Frank. Each one is pinned over our hearts with a tiny bike rider. On Day 1 I wear 2 talismans - above my left knee is the red ribbon from Danny's memorial service, and on the back of my helmet the large red ribbon I used to wave my best friend William goodbye at his memorial.

                                      

                  The rag tag caravan of 400 Riders and Crew about to embark on their journey.

                             

Cutting the ribbon...and we're off!! I'm on the left, my friends Tania and Jonathan beside me. I was first into camp on Day 1 by 20 minutes. 31.9kph average for those to whom this matters.

                                             My friend Damien knows how to dress to ride.

                                                   Each day is about remembering..........

                            

                                                       .....and celebrating those we love

                                                                               

The forest of tents beginning to sprout in a farmer's field on the shores of Lake Ontario at the end of Day 1's 113km. The sunset and moonrise were glorious. The Haskills have been donating their land for years. Such fine human beings.

Bikes awaiting their riders the morning of Day 2, the longest at 128km, and most challenging of the days.

I choose a loved one, someone whose courage and strength inspire me, to lean on each long and grueling day of the Ride. Day 2 is the toughest. When I falter, and I do falter, I call on their spirit to carry me forward. I had the spirit of Kim Fullerton sitting on my handlebars that day. It was lovely riding with her.  

    

              Day 3 was named Dress In Red Day. Almost immediately it became Red Dress Day.

The brothers Akenhead dressed for the occasion. This is probably the first, and last, time my brother will ever appear let alone ride a bike in a woman's undergarments.

                                                           

















             Some other outfits from the day

                                                                               

I had company at the front on Day 2.  32.1kph average over 128km wasn't shabby. We're waiting for the Glenora Ferry to take us across part of the Lake.   

                               

                                           We pass through some very beautiful landscape.

                                                                                                                                                           

                                                     Volunteers care for our bodies..........

                                                                    ......and our bikes

                                                                               

                                  Sue probably had the all time record for flats......8 of them!!!

I had the privilege of riding with her Days 4, 5, and 6. Each day we would begin at the front of the pack, then about 10-15km in she'd flat out, we'd be passed by hundreds, then begin riding again, and as she said - "we'll pick them off one by one", and we did. To do that on Day 5 we rode averages of between 33 and 38kph. Never in my life have I sustained those speeds for so long. She is a truly wonderful athlete - all power and focus, and perfect form and technique. And she can change a rear wheel flat (they were all rear wheel ones of course) without ruining a french manicure. Now that takes skill!! And she was riding a touring bike that was probably 10 kilos heavier than the others. Can you tell I'm in awe of her? You don't get to the World Iron Championships twice without having some steel inside that velvet glove of a body.

                                            Day 5 we camp in a forest of tall trees. Magical.

                                       

That evening at sunset we hold a Candlelight Ceremony at the beach. We remember those lost to this disease, and celebrate those struggling to live with it. As my friend Tama would say - there was a lot of love in that place.

A few kms into Day 6 we cross into Quebec. Brian, our new friend for life, was not only one of the motorcycle escorts, but the official photographer. He gave a lovely speech at the Candlelight Ceremony -  direct, unsentimental, and deeply moving.  That's when we fell in love with him. And he's the only biker I know who rides in full drag!!                                                                        

                      
Check out the wardrobe malfunction, the camera always ready, the garter belt, and those heels are weapons of mass destruction. There was a lot of gut busting laughter on the journey.

Day 6 the caravan arrives in Montreal. Yes, we all rode our bikes more than 600kms, and raised 1.2 million dollars for People Living with AIDS. Time to celebrate those achievements....

                                                 

                                            ....at the Jacques Cartier Pier in the Vieux Port

                                                                               

The next day Keith and Sue continued on their journey to Nfld. I waved them goodbye and watched until they had cycled out of view. I shed quite a few tears....

                                                                                                             

 .....as I do when I watch your names float by on my donor scroll. Thank you all, again, for being a part of this with me. I am blessed to have you in my life.

Much love - Gary