Europe - The Lions on the Road: Cycling London to Cape Town - page 29

Chapter 5: Europe
The Big Day
I had a couple of days to relax and complete last minute errands. I went to the post
office and sent a supply package (malaria tablets, first-aid, bike parts and some clothing) to
the Canadian Embassy in Kinshasa, Zaïre (DRC). I made sure all my affairs were in order
(banking, final will, etc .) and left copies with the dad. Any item that was not needed for the
tour was placed in storage in the Scicluna's attic. Finally, the eve of departure, I loaded all
the gear on the bike, laid out my clothing and took the family out for dinner. When we re-
turned, I went to my bedroom for a sleepless night.
Onthe morning ofJuly1,1992,the youngest son,Luke, came tomyroomtotell me
it was time to get ready. I thanked him for the wakeup call and as he left, I remained in bed
staring at the ceiling. Did I really want to go? Should I fake an illness and leave tomorrow?
Or, should I just quit the tour and be content with what I accomplished in the UK-Ireland
tour? But wait…I spent eight and a half months planning for this day: all those letters, inter-
views, supporters and cynics who said I couldn't make it. This was the moment of truth…
A Canadian Inspiration
It was at that moment that I thought of a Canadian hero named Terry Fox who, after
losing a leg to cancer, attempted to run across Canada for cancer research. When he was
asked how he could focus on running the distance of a marathon each day, he said that he
used the telephone poles as his goal. When he reached one telephone pole he would look at