Episode 66 – Kari Loya

 Cycling the TransAmerica Bike Trail. A Father & Son’s journey with Alzheimers

Ever wanted to go cycle the TransAmerica Bike Trail? Well this episode features Kari Loya who did just that with his 75 year old dad.  What makes this journey even more unique though was that Kari’s dad Merv was suffering from Alzheimers. 

This made the trip far more poignant for Kari, as it was the final opportunity for them both to live out a goal which they had both talked about for years – to bike across America.  Kari talked me through his experiences of this trip, the extra complications brought about from having to also be caregiver to his father, who while physically fit and able to take on the journey, was still showing lots of signs of Alzheimers slowly taking hold.   

This trip really came about because Kari decided to look at what his father could still do, rather than consign him away to Alzheimers completely. As Kari mentioned during the episode, for each of the 73 days of their journey, his father could not recall where they started or where they ended their trip.  Yet his father had a beaming grin, as he cycled up Hoosier Pass, snowbanks either side of him, and was living completely in the moment the entire time on that 7,500km journey.

Kari also took the time to journal this bike tour by way of transcribing over 300 conversations had with strangers along the way. He would later turn this into a book titled Conversations Across America which I can highly recommend.

You can learn more about Kari via his website: www.dreamerdoercoaching.com
To purchase his book check out this link – Conversations Across America

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