Far and Wide Trek for Developmental Disabilities: Surrounded.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Surrounded.

The last blogs have been getting a little lengthy so I'm going to try and keep this one short and sweet. Well relatively short. So I'm completely surrounded by mountains and am writing this entry from a nice town nestled between them. I got held up in Peublo, CO but got more acquainted with some great people that really showed me the town and made me feel at home.

So I was pretty restless hanging out in Pueblo and I wanted to get back on my bike to get into the beautiful mountains. But I needed to wait for some important maps. I wasn't impressed with the United States Postal Service they had me running around all over town. Well the rest of the details are not important the important thing is I got my maps.

I would love to show you all pictures of where I am but I feel that the picture wouldn't do the mountains justice. For example I had to do my first substantial mountain climb the other day. At the mountain pass the max height was about 9300 ft. To fathom that number in my head I imagined 930 basketball nets stacked on top of eachother. I camped at the base of one of the big mountains here and the wind flying down them was incredible. It sounded as if I was on a freeway but even louder. However, when I went to the washroom in the middle of the night and the stars were incredible I felt so close to them. But didn't stay too long enjoying them because it was -3 degrees outside and the wind was even colder so I jumped back in my tent in a hurry.

The next morning rain pelted my tent.... I grumpily stayed in my sleeping bag. It let up pretty quickly I went outside and it was pretty cold. Still just above feezing. I started the day off and it started snowing.... I couldn't believe it. An hour later, hail started to pelt me in the face.... I laughed at the variations in weather that was being thrown at me. My mood was in high spirits though because of the amazing views and incredible speeds I can hit when flying up and down the hills/mountains. Sometimes I'm desert and the next minute I'm flying by a lush river, the landscape is ever changing around me.

Tomorrow I have my biggest climb within the United States. It will exceed 11,200 ft. I'm nervous but also really excited to be able to ride my bike to such heights. I have to say that generosity of people is still amazing... people letting me camp in their backyards, free food at diners, random people taking me out for dinner, or even someone putting me up in a Motel for the night. And everyone is always so willing to discuss personal experiences and stories about their experiences with Developmental Disabilities. I hope this doesn't sound redundant but I'm truly blessed to be taking part in such an adventure. Love you all and thanks for all the support

Godspeed
Matthew.

6 comments:

Homebase said...: Hi Matthew:)
I am Natasha, Jeff's girlfriend. Sorry that we did not get to meet before your trip. I have sat down and read all of your blogs and also had Jeff and your sister explain a lot about what you are doing. You should be really proud of yourself:) I have to say that i truly admire your bravery and your dedication. If only everyone was willing to be open minded. You would think that all of this ignorance would be finished with in this day and age! Anyways, you will be in my prayers and I hope that you are safe for the remainder of your journey. Can't wait to meet you:) Natasha; May 11, 2008 at 4:20 PM
mark v said...: Matt

once again i am jealous. though those must be pretty serious climbs. I finished the video. the full length version is on youtube. it's a little long and we won't be using the whole thing for sponsors, but i put it up anyways. the quality is kind of crappy, i'm going to see if i can fix it. just search for far and wide bike trek and you should find it.
keep strong.

mark; May 12, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Chris T said...: Dear Matt

I miss you>

The mountains must be beautiful

Be careful

Good bye; May 13, 2008 at 7:13 AM
Unknown said...: Matt!

It's been ages since I've posted - I just got caught up on your blog and it's amazing. Even though I've heard some of this from you already, it's so fun reading it and becoming apart of your journey for a little while!

I really think you're completely in your element now cause you're writing is seems so reflective and precise. You gave seriously stunning descriptions of the imagery - great job on that. I can't wait to see some of these pictures soon.

I can't believe that you're climbing over 11,000 feet right now. I've been trying to get a hold of you today but I can't get through. Normally I'd be getting kindof worried but the whole bit about being on a mountain of such height explains it all.

I can't wait to talk to you soon.

You're amazing!

oxox; May 13, 2008 at 1:58 PM
J said...: Best of luck to you and Thank You for what you are doing!; May 16, 2008 at 6:47 AM
Unknown said...: Hey Matthew,

You really are an incredible person!! The blog is great to follow your adventure and a real inspiration. We are all very proud of you. I only wish there was more we could do to help spread the word to support your cause. It would be great to see how you're progressing against your fundraising goal. I'll ask everyone I know to make a donation!!
Rob D; May 18, 2008 at 6:28 AM

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A little about Matthew

All my life, a life spent with a younger sister who has Down syndrome, I believed that inclusion was the way of the future, that she would graduate and become a part of the community, that she was someone who could contribute just like anyone else. I have learned that the idea, and the words around it, is still in vogue. It’s the practice that’s wanting. Since her graduation, she takes part in a day program where the only *normal* people are her supervisors. She has become invisible again, part of a protected ghetto for people with disabilities, safe from others and them safe from her.
Much of my early life was trying to educate my peers about my sister’s disability and, being a kid, sometimes landing in the occasional fight. (Certainly true with my sister, who has always been outspoken!)
It saddens me to see that we continue to isolate people with mental disabilities because we don’t understand or are uncomfortable with what we see as unbridgeable differences. I believe that we can make a positive difference in how people view each other if we make an effort to encourage understanding through education.
Having worked with organizations and institutions dedicated to helping individuals with special needs, I have firsthand knowledge of how little society as a whole understands the challenges people with mental disabilities face on a daily basis. From my work with adults and children in Hamilton, I have learned a great deal about special needs. I also learned how a few people work incredibly hard to make a few underfunded programs work as well as they do. This past fifteen months I have spent teaching in South Korea. During this time, I did considerable research into the types of support that individuals with special needs receive and how it can be improved with relatively simple steps.
From my previous experience and from my research, the idea of the Far and Wide Bike Trek was born. It seems a logical next step, a way to raise awareness and funds for people with mental challenges. My hope is that I can connect with associations and individuals along the way in an effort to get some recognition for people in communities across the land. It helps that athletics, especially cycling, is something I love and it’s an honour to do something for others that they may not be able to do for themselves. This also would enable me to meet with community leaders and charity organizations across the continent to discuss the problems people with special needs face, and to share ideas. With only negligible help on the part of the community, many of these individuals’ lives can be made infinitely more manageable.
In addition, by using a bicycle, I’m also achieving other goals. Not only is the bicycle an excellent and neglected form of transportation, it’s environmentally friendly and a great form of exercise. I think the messages that we need to care for our environment and we need to take care of our bodies through exercise are important ones as well.
Finally, outside of monetary concerns and environmental awareness, I am genuinely interested in bringing to the attention of people everywhere how capable, frequently astonishing, and incredibly special people with mental challenges are. Although there are a handful of programs (such as the Special Olympics) with this goal, I feel as if the Far and Wide Bike Trek can truly drive the point home. Please be a part of my dream. Thank you for your time.

Far and Wide Trek for Developmental Disabilities

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Surrounded.

6 comments:

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