August 18, 2008 Michael AugustineLisez en Francais
Well, after a late evening of comedy cavalcade I awoke, bright and early at 5 a.m. the next morning, and made my way to the Brampton Fairgrounds, in Brampton, ON, immediately north of my home town of Mississauga. I arrived by 6:30, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to take on the world. That lasted until about 10. Although everyone was in a great mood with ample energy and optimism being spread about, it didn’t take me long before I felt the effects of the previous night bear down hard on my adrenaline reserves.
As there was plenty of pipin’ hot coffee to be had, I doubt anyone was really keen to notice.
Still, by the time the noon-hour had come around, I was already thoroughly exhausted. As I may have stated before, my job is to sit at the finish line and high-5 the riders as they come through the gate. It is something I relish doing, and I’ve come to be a recognized mascot of sorts for these events. As such, I look forward to doing it each and every year. And yet despite my enthusiasm and anticipation, every year, without fail Brampton proves to be a challenge I find difficult to overcome.
For those who may not know this, the Brampton to Waterloo route is arguably the most challenging tour in Canada consisting of a 200 kilometer trek through some of the most steep and uneven parts of civilized Ontario. In addition, there is always something aggravating the journey, be it the blistering sun, the pouring rain, or the infamous head-winds for which this trail is well-known. In a weird twist, this “difficulty factor” makes it a highly prized challenge ride for both the hardcore cyclists and equally for the newbie’s who feel they have something to prove.
Because of this, unlike the London to Grand Bend tour, which boast twice as many participants, this tour takes hours longer from when the first rider crosses the line, to when the last rider trudges their way to the finish. For me, that translates into several extra hours sitting in that sun/rain/wind, waiting for those noble weekend warriors to pass my way. This weekend, there was nothing but sweltering sun with not a drop of humidity in the air. Thus, after the first two hours on Saturday, I was baked hotter than a clay pot in a kiln, and spent the remainder of the afternoon taking advantage of the finish line location, spending extended breaks in the University of Waterloo’s air-conditioned student lounge.
I was deeply disappointed. To make matters worse, one team had carried giant teddy bears strapped firmly to their backs, doing the full 100km on Saturday with the added heat and wind resistance weighing them down. All for the sole purpose of being able to give me the bears off their backs when I received them at the finish line. I felt SO bad...
I wasn’t there!
Although I felt like I had let them down, what mattered most was the perspective in which I chose to view the circumstances. On one hand, I could say that I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain, or that I didn’t come through when I was needed most. On the other hand, I could just as easily say that I have become such an integral part of the tours that people go out of their way to thank me for being an inspiration, and that they appreciate me, regardless. That change in point of view makes all the difference!
In any type of event, be it the bike tours or the MS Walk, selling carnations or any other similar event, there is always the potential to become disappointed or disillusioned, believing that we have accomplished little or nothing at all - that our actions make no difference in the grand scheme of things. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In the end, every step we take is a foot closer to the cure; to finally being able to end MS. Never forget that you are not alone in this. We are all there, together; to make this dream of a cure a reality...and you are every bit as important as the next person.
Think of it like this: what if every Canadian donated a single dime - just ten cents - to help find a cure?
Not much is it?
But that ten cents, when multiplied by the 35 million people across this great country, adds up to 3-and-a-half million dollars. And THAT makes a huge difference! This weekend the RONA MS Bike Tour raised $430,000...one dime at a time! Never doubt that you can make that difference. Never stop believing that the dream of a cure for MS is almost a reality. And never for one second prevent yourself from saying “I am a part of that cure!”
We re all in this together and that why together, we will end MS!
Irreverently yours,
Aug, who is going to go hug his new teddy bears.