No one has to tell Terry Manning to get off the couch.
Manning, 69, a self-described former “desk jockey,” is in the final planning stages of a cross-country bike tour that will span 6,000 kilometres and touch both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
His goal is to raise $60,000 for Guelph General Hospital’s Linamar emergency department.
“The tour is simply something I want to do, with the second goal of raising money,” said Manning.
“At 69, I don’t have that much more time for cycling. It keeps me motivated.”
Manning was not always so active. But 18 years ago, he turned his life around and vowed to get fit after he discovered he was, in his words, “growing out.”
He ran his first of six half-marathons at age 60, and continued on to run two full marathons, the Niagara Falls International and the Cleveland Marathon.
But a knee injury in 2008 prompted him to turn to more knee-friendly cycling. He completed a 1,500-kilometre Atlantic Canada tour in 2009, and went on to ride the 8,000-kilometre Tour du Canada ride in 2011.
This first experience with extreme long distance cycling left Manning hungry for more. His election to the Guelph General Hospital Foundation board coincided with his desire to complete another ride, which led him to combine the two activities and fundraise while completing his personal goals.
Manning will ride with the tour group America By Bicycle in a 50-day trip. He hopes to raise money from donors who “buy” kilometres for $10 a piece. Manning and his wife Priscilla will be covering expenses, allowing all donations to be given to the hospital.
The tour runs from June 16 to Aug. 5.
In the meantime, Manning has been logging plenty of miles on the road to prepare for up to nearly 200-kilometre days.
“I was one of the oldest riders on the last tour, and probably will be this time as well,” says Manning.
For more information on Terry’s Tour or to make a donation, visit www.gghfoundation.ca/coast-to-coast. To visit the blog go to terrystour2k13.wordpress.com, on Facebook at Terry’s Tour 2K13 and on Twitter @TerrysTour.
