Note: A June 29 update is at the bottom of this story.
It’s the season when eastbound cross-Canada adventurers are making their way through Revelstoke. Most of them, like this group we featured last week, are well-prepared, executing well-planned awareness and fundraising excursions, usually atop well-oiled bicycles.
Then there’s 18-year-old Edmontonian Kevin Kusiak.
The ambitious cross-Canada adventurer is pushing across the country on his longboard to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. That’s where the similarities with the other touring machines end.
His spiky hair is dyed red and nearly matches his red, sunburned shoulders and red patch of road rash from a crash near Vernon. His outfit is a far-cry from the usual Lycra-clad road warriors. He sports a tank top, board shorts and beaten-down high-tops.
It’s been over a week since he left Vancouver and he admits things haven’t been going well.
He was planning to do the trip with a friend. They had a van lined up and were going to take turns pushing, starting just a few days after high school ended.
But when they got to Vancouver, the insurance fell through. After a day, his friend backed out because of the lack of a van.
Kusiak decided to push on.
He was a few kilometres past Hope when his first major incident happened. Heat stroke and dehydration set in, and he slumped to the side of the road, where he began vomiting blood.
Eventually, the authorities took him back to Hope, and he was shipped to hospital in Merritt via Greyhound, then to Kelowna. “Some people call that cheating, I call it not dying,” Kusiak says of the motorized leg of the journey.
From there, he headed towards Vernon.
While on his way down a hill into town, he had his first major wipeout. His 20-kilogram backpack propelled him off his board. “The first thing that flew forward was my head,” Kusiak says. He shows me his cracked helmet. “I spent my night in Vernon in a hospital,” he says. “I only ended up with a minor concussion.” He’s got a motorcycle helmet now.
After recovering, he pushed on to Sicamous, where he spent the night in a tent in a public park.
Out on the road, things are equally tough.
The road is lonely. “It’s hard, it’s rough,” he says. “I’ve had objects thrown at me.” One of them was a cup of hot coffee, which actually scalded him.
And then there’s the ever-present danger of passing vehicles. “I don’t know if people are honking at me in support or honking at me to get off the road,” he admits.
He spent the evening of Sunday, June 26 in Revelstoke. He’s leaving mid-afternoon for the push to Rogers Pass on Monday, June 27. I ask Kevin if he’s prepared for the cold. He has a hoodie, he explains.
Prior to his trip, he secured donation status with the Canadian Cancer Society. He’s got a webpage with the CCS for his Push4Hope campaign. Anybody can make donations online. So far, he’s raised only $520.
At this point, Kusiak feels he’s battling skepticism. “Mostly because people are apprehensive that I’ll make it,” he says. “It’s kind of saddening, but I guess I understand it a little bit.”
So, why’s he doing it? Kusiak explains he’s lost a family member to cancer, and another is currently battling the disease. It’s what’s keeping him going, despite the setbacks.
“I’ve been having to rebuild this from the ground up,” he says of his journey. “With everything going against me, I’m hoping I can prevail against it.”
“I’m struggling with this,” he admits.
His plan now is to push on to Calgary, where he can meet up with friends and hopefully drum up more support and awareness.
In the meantime, he’s looking for any help he can get, such as a vehicle escort on the road. Kevin Kusiak’s email and phone number is on his Push4Hope Facebook page.
Update: The Canadian Cancer Society of Alberta/NWT has withdrawn their support from Kusiak’s cross-Canada tour.
In a June 29 interview, spokesperson Deanna Kraus said the decision was made due to safety concerns. She said the society had originally given Kusiak ‘independent fundraiser’ status with the understanding that he would make the trip with a support team including a support van.
They said they could no longer support the trip out of concern for Kusiak’s safety. “He’s out there alone,” she said. “We admire that spirit, but we just can’t abide by him putting his life at risk.”
“We don’t want to see him injured anymore,” Krauss added.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said Kusiak was 17 years old. In fact, he’s 18.
