Today was a very good day for the Athletes.

We started our day off with a news event hosted by the City of Chilliwack.

The whole City Staff was there to greet us as well as numerous media groups. Good questions were asked and the spirit of the athletes rose significantly.

There were many notable occurrences at this event and I was proud of the way our group of athletes handled the frank discussions about disabled people and our Incredible Journey.

We asked the entire group to join us as we are only six messenger’s with an extremely large important message to deliver to all Canadians.

We know that we six determined, stubborn individuals cannot possibly get this message to everybody without help so that everyone will know about the McMaster University’s Medical Science Doctors incredible discoveries in Spinal Cord regeneration. We need you to help us raise 10 million dollars to complete this research.

So we did the only thing we could do. We asked for their help so that everyone out there with a spinal cord injury or some neurological disorder will know that they may have a chance of a cure.

Our goal is to create a group of messenger’s just like us thousands,tens of thousands and possibly millions strong doing just what we are doing. This doesn’t have to be limited to Canada as everyone in the world with an injured spinal cord would benefit.

It isn’t really that hard to sit at your computers, check out our web site at www.wheeltowalkcanada.org, our blog site at www.wheeltowalkcanada.wordpress.org or just pass on the information in a friendly memo to your friends.

A simple email to your friends on your email list telling them “hey did you hear that the McMaster University Medical Science Doctors are experimenting on reconnecting severed spinal cords on lab rats using special cells from their own bodies and these cells have reconnected the spinal cords. You could even tell them that hot damn The Lab Rats are Walking.”

What an  amazing story to tell. Think of the impact this discovery will have on the millions of people living with a chair stuck to their butts and the huge impact on the quality of life for these injured people when they can once again walk “Just LIke the Rats”.

Even if the regeneration wasn’t perfect the injured people would welcome any improvement they can get.

Just to be able to stand and walk with crutch or cane assistance would be a miracle welcomed to them because with each improvement comes Independence.

The people of BC have been fantastic and everyone is getting involved with us. People rush up excited to meet us, wishing us well, telling us they saw us on the news and telling us that what we are doing is so very special.

Hardened truckers tell us that they will follow our blogs, motorcyclists stop to tell us they fully support our efforts and give us advice on the mountains and weather warnings.

Today we met a gentleman who had a spinal cord injury similar to the athletes on our team. He wanted us to do this again next ear so that he could join us. He broke his back a day before his birthday while Charlie broke his the day after. Harvie also broke his back just at the time of his birthday.

Charlie declined this gentleman’s offer to join us next year because our goal is to Jog across Canada next time.

People we love you for your support and you have become the adrenalin that is helping us move our butts over your very large mountains. It isn’t fair though that the west coast gets to have all of this beauty and we in Ontario have to settle for a different type of beauty. I envy you in a lot of ways but I also know that on our incredible journey we are going to find a special beauty in every city we visit.

The kind, caring people that live in this Country are what will make us complete our journey.

In news from the athletes they are getting up to speed after having taken time away from training to drive to Victoria. The hills are getting less threatening and from my perspective as support and chase vehicle they are ready to complete their journey.

Our plan on the end of day 3 was to reach Hope BC but we blew right on past there today and actually got to quit early for a well earned rest.

Tomorrow we will split the team so that two athletes will get to meet the Mayor of Hope Wilfred Vicktor and talk to the press.

Charlie, Les and myself will meet at 10:00am in Hope with Mayor Wilfred Victor to deliver a special message about Hope.

Again we are still having fun and no Eric we aren’t there yet but we will be in September.

The scenery around here can only be described as awsome and the people super friendly. If this is Canada “What a Country.”

A special thanks to Deputy Mayor Dorthy Kostrzewa for her kind words, gracious style and support for our efforts and to Noreen for arranging our meeting.

I hope we can count you both in as team members in our Journey to raise the 10 million dillars necessary to complete the Human trials.

Jim Anderson,road manager, Wheel to Walk Canada.org 905 869 6125