WATCH (above): Next month a 37-year-old father from Burnaby is setting out to row thousands of kilometres, and it’s all for the love of his son, who is living with autism. Randene Neill.
A Burnaby dad is setting out on an adventure of a lifetime to raise awareness about his son’s autism.
John Carinha will try to circumnavigate Vancouver Island, a distance of 1,100 kilometres, by rowing solo and unsupported to raise awareness about the Autistic Spectrum Disorder his nine-year-old son Brandon suffers from.
“This journey is not about notoriety, headlines or braving danger,” says Carinha. “It is about bringing understanding, definition and resolve to an inherent ignorance in our society and government about a disorder that many fail to comprehend or believe is truly a concern.”
Carinha will begin his arduous journey on Saturday and hopes to finish the trip by the end of June.
“The deliverable is the awareness, and I am just a messenger,” he says.
He will also be fundraising along the way to help create an online video library on how to coach individuals with autism.
Carinha has been training six days a week for the last eight months for his journey.
He will try to row for about 50 kilometres a day to complete the circumnavigation on time.
Carinha will also be making a documentary about his solo expedition that he plans to submit to the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival for screening selection in 2015.
To donate to Row4Autism, go here.
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