It is a Wonderful Life (Horseshoe Bay to Stanley Park)
There’s a scene at the end where the whole town shows up when they hear he needs help with the money. Before he knows it, his house is full with family, friends and others, intent on giving him (without hesitation or asking what he needs it for), however much he needs to make it through. The characters enter saying things like, “he never thinks of himself, he’s always helping others, so this is my time to help him”. Or, “how much do you need, your character credit is good here George”.
This was the scene for us on Friday morning starting at 5:00am, a collection of people from the 4 corners of our lives, showing up to assist us (not because of needing money), but with energy, love and support to make these remaining 18 miles magical. One by one people showed up like players from a movie. And after the obligatory “Matt and Steph-sized hugs of excitement”, we instantly re-connected with all, after being so many months out on the road.
Our table (like in the movie) became full of “people love” and will be forever remembered as leaving us, the two richest folks in town. Like Jimmy Stewart’s character, now being the richest in town because of friends and family showering him in assistance, love and support. Steph and I will forever be wrapped in the arms of our posse’ from that day, May 8th 2009, now declared as “Official Run For One Planet Day in Vancouver”, by Mayor Gregor Robertson.
A HUGE shout of heartfelt THANK YOU’s to the beautiful Tara McGuire, our friend from QMFM for being the maker of this official proclamation idea and spent many a day making it happen!
It will take many months to recant and process all that transpired on that 18-mile section of road between Horseshoe Bay and Vancouver, this past Friday May 8th. Luckily it was documented on film, along with hundreds of photographs for memories to be recalled as we go through the immense amount of people love we had on our very most last day.
I don’t really know how to begin actually, to even encapsulate my feelings. I feel feeble in my attempt to conjure the correct words and sentences, to have you feel a tenth of what we felt from everyone, as we ran along our most treasured section of pavement to complete this 2 ½ year journey together.
As I have now written, erased and re-written this blog 5 times since Sunday, I think the only way to give the experience due justice, is to break it up into bullet points and serve it to you, our valued reader, in 4 or 5 segments. This way, you get the full scope of all that happened. As well, it doesn’t become a 5 page last blog!
This one I have to get right. And try, with the remaining “brain memory space” from this life changing experience, to include everything, everyone and keep it short enough so you don’t get brain lock from reading my novel.
3:15am: Matt sets a NEW record for early wake ups on tour.
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3:30am: Strong Level Ground Trading coffee brewed, 1st sip taken to begin the final blog (from the comfort of the lavatory because of the 6 other sleeping people in every inch of space in our 28 foot home on wheels)!
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5:00am: 6 sleeping people awoken by moi (Matt), singing my favorite, made up on the spot original, “welcome to the day song” I am famous for.
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5:30am: Tara and company from our favorite morning show QMFM, arrive for the start of many interviews, to share the tour’s last day with all their listeners!
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6:00am: Racy is fuller than she’s ever been, with family and friends filling their compost able cups courtesy of our coffee sponsor Stacy at “Level Ground Trading Coffee Company”, to also capture what was about to transpire.
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6:00-7:00am: 2 interviews from QMFM complete and one from Global TV, we were ready to begin the first steps to the eventual last steps on this life changing, 17,700km odyssey.
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7:10am: The sirens whirred from the motorcycles and squad car, courtesy of my friend, Corporal Sheri Lucas and the 4 other West Vancouver Police Officers, Tim, Brian, (….) and (…). Whom it must be mentioned, came on their day off, in order to get us through West Vancouver safely!
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7:10 – 10:00am: Running along the memory field of Marine Drive, with all those people in the movie, that was our “reality show”, our posse’ of peeps and peep-etes, all intent on getting us home. Our faces were alight, like when we were kids, before Christmas or the night before a big vacation, as we had perma-grins and tears flowing (often) from both our eye sockets! It’s a real time experience, feeling like we were being carried by the energy of love as we just kept our legs moving. So much so, we were even early (we’re never early), for the run through town. We (and our posse’) giggled like school kids as we ran right through red lights to the hoots and shouts of “congratulations you guys” all the way through main West Vancouver.
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8:15am We find out there is a *secret announcement* being made by the Mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson that it seems now EVERYONE knew about but Steph & I…
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8:30am Mayor Robertson gets on the radio and announced May 8th, 2009 as officially Run for One Planet Day in the City of Vancouver! We were absolutely stunned, amazed, and humbled by this incredible blessing by the City. Thank you Tara McGuire for being instrumental in setting this up – this was an absolutely astonishing honor.
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Arriving into Park Royal (again, early) we had the chance to talk with everyone and take a quick breather for the “about to come, run of a lifetime”. 2 of Vancouver’s finest motorcycle Police came rolling through the White Spot parking lot as if cued by the director at the strike of 10 and after some “Police conferencing and decision making” our friends from West Van PD offered to stay on and become a Police motorcade of five, to get us over the Lions Gate Bridge and grant us our secret wish of 2 ½ years, an escort in our very own lane across the bridge.
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10:20am: We began running towards the famous Vancouver landmark for our final trip on this magical, mystical journey. When the Police asked if we’d like to have our own lane to run over, we, after considering their question for a mili-second, became a question of, “are you serious and if you are, yes, you’ve made a dream come true”. Every single run across Lions Gate while we trained, both of us had envisioned having this kind of full escort back to the city we love, surrounded by the people we love, to complete around Stanley Park (to pay homage to Terry Fox) and unlace wherever was destined to be.
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This section of the day will forever be etched deeply into our souls, as it capped every ounce of energy we’d ever poured into building the tour for strong bodies, strong values and a team built from committed, strong individuals, all digging deep to make this dream a reality.
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Needless to say (or write), we both streamed with tears realizing our long held vision was now a reality, as we ran the long stretch to reach the pinnacle and run down towards our camera and video posse’ (Frank, Rob, Tyler and Berenice), at the bottom of Lions Gate Bridge with gear pointed on capturing every frame.
Part #2, tomorrow’ish!