FATHER, SON TO BIKE 600 KM TO HAMILTON
Father’s Day trek aims to raise money for muscular dystrophy
Andrew Sedmihradsky and his four-year-old son, Max, are gearing up for a very long bike ride to raise money for a rare genetic disorder.
They will start Max’s Big Ride in Ottawa on Father’s Day and bike 600 km to finish in their hometown of Hamilton, just in time for Canada Day.
Although Max has not yet progressed to bicycles from tricycles, he is excited about the adventure ahead.
“I sold it to him by saying that we’ll be stopping for ice cream along the way,” Sedmihradsky said.
Max has gone on bike rides with his father before, strapped into a child’s seat. For this trip, they will be using a cargo bike and Max will be sitting in a container at the front, with plenty of room for toys.
“Up until this trip, he always had a view of my back. But now he has the best seat in the house,” Sedmihradsky said.
Planning the ride started as a way for Sedmihradsky to keep busy. He had been devastated when he first found out that his son suffered from a disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
“I remember thinking that whatever problems I had at the time paled in comparison to the knowledge that I would outlive my son,” he said.
DMD affects only boys and progresses very quickly. By the age of 12, many children must use a wheelchair. Most don’t live past their early 20s because of heart and lung complications.
Max is a bubbly boy with a wild imagination, and his parents try to encourage him to be as active as possible.
“He can’t run or jump, but in most aspects he’s like every other kid. He loves playing with his hockey stick in the backyard or his Lego,” Sedmihradsky said.
There is no cure for DMD but Sedmihradsky hopes to change that by raising money for the charity Jesse’s Journey, which funds DMD research.
In the past two months, Max’s Big Ride has raised more than $18,000.
“Hopefully, the money we raise will help other boys in the future,” Sedmihradsky said.
Max’s Big Ride has also made it into the finals of Win a Billboard contest at the Toronto radio station Indie 88. If they win in online voting, they will have their story put up on billboards across the city.
Although the cause is serious, the bike ride will be about having fun.
Sedmihradsky’s wife, Kerri, and his parents will follow the pair in a car to provide support. They plan to stop along the way in towns and parks to make the most of their trip.
Max might not understand what the ride is about, but he is looking forward to it.
Sedmihradsky said he left home early one morning on an errand and came back to find his son awake and waiting for him.
“He asked me, ‘Daddy, you didn’t go on Max’s Big Ride, did you?’ ” said Sedmihradsky. “He was worried I had left without him.”