Two members of a cross-country cycling team raising awareness and support for Parkinson’s Disease are facing a setback after discovering their bikes had been stolen.
Jim Redmond is part of the Spinning Wheels Relay Team, which arrived in Edmonton on Monday.
Redmond was shocked to find the bikes gone Tuesday morning — taken from in front of their south Edmonton hotel.
“I came around the corner and noticed that the bikes weren’t on the back,” Redmond explained.
“I walked over and saw that the lock had been cut.”
Redmond has Parkinson’s Disease and said his symptoms immediately flared up.
“It took me about 20 minutes to walk from the car to the front door because I started to have freezing of gait,” Redmond explained.
He said for people with the disease, cycling is medicine.
“There’s a sense of freedom that you get with riding a bike with Parkinson’s,” Redmond said.
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This journey started on July 27th in Victoria and is scheduled to end Sept. 28 in Ottawa.
With just over 4,000 kilometers left in the Spinning Wheels Relay, it’s a setback — but they’re not quitting.
“We’re getting support from a lot of people, and we appreciate that sincerely,” Redmond said.
“We’re not stopping.”
Mike Loghrin’s bike was also stolen.
“It’s a bike that was built for me and I picked the colours, so I miss it,” Loghrin said.
He has trouble with his hands and the bike’s gearing system is custom designed to make it easier for him when he’s riding.
People can reach out to the group via their website.