Couple will cycle the Americas

The pair pedaled into Digby May 10, spent the night at the Backpacker's Inn, and on Monday made their way to the ferry terminal after a stop at the Courier office.

Martin and Duck who married 18 months ago, took the scenic route from Halifax to Digby via Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, then through Kejimkujik National Park in the rain.

The pair say they have been talking about cycling the Americas for awhile. A five-year old boy named George inspired them to make their adventure a fund-raising one and they have already raised the equivalent of $19,500 Canadian, pledged by fellow Brits who have heard of their journey.

Duchenne is a very rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, affecting roughly one in 6,000. The genetic disorder affects only boys. It causes progressive muscle weakness as cells break down and die. Most affected boys show the first symptoms when they are aged between one and three. Early symptoms of the disorder include: being unable to run or jump as well as friends; difficulty climbing stairs; difficulty getting up from the floor.

By age 11, children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are wheelchair users. By their late teens the condition is often severe enough to shorten live expectancy.

The gene that is responsible for the disorder was discovered in 1987. Action Duchenne, the charity that will benefit from Martin and Duck's tour, has been a major player in the campaign for a cure.

Martin and Duck say that every penny raised will be donated to Action Duchenne. They are traveling light, staying at hostels and the homes of friends of friends. The couple has rented their own home in Lode, England, (near Cambridge) and will live off the rent money.

From Saint John, Martin and Duck will travel to Bar Harbour,Maine, then cycle the width of the continent just South of the Canada/U.S. border.

They plan to visit Vancouver, then cycle south along the West Coast of the U.S., Mexico, Central America and finally South America. Their trip, which they expect to take twenty months, will end in Chile, where they honeymooned a year and a half ago.

Individuals can make donations to Action Duchenne and follow the progress of Martin and Duck’s cycling tour at www.cycletheamericas.org.