John Mohan admits that buying a red sports car would be a typical way to deal with a mid-life crisis. But when his 50th birthday rolled around, his wife wasn't about to let him have one.
So the chief executive officer of Siloam Mission decided to forgo the celebratory cliche of the sports car and instead climbed on a red bicycle to mark his passing of the half century.
Siloam Mission’s John Mohan (right) with David Dyck, who also completed the fundraising journey.
On Monday, he finished a fundraiser dubbed My Mid-Life Crisis for the inner-city agency, enduring a marathon 1,307-kilometre bicycle ride from Calgary to Winnipeg.
"The best part is definitely getting home," Mohan said after arriving in Headingley. "Being here and seeing friends and family."
"And yet there's an irony in that. I'm home, and yet I've come home to work with our homeless who don't all get to say that."
On his 10-day cycling journey, Mohan raised more than $70,000 for the homeless, with the funds going to Siloam's food, emergency shelter, employment training, and health services.
"He really wanted to create awareness of what the homeless situation is," said Linda Warkentin, communications director for Siloam. "What a real crisis is, and people who are in crisis every day down at Siloam Mission."
The mission helps an estimated 400 to 600 people a day, said Garth Reesor, Siloam Mission's chief operating officer. The mission's health centre cared for 1,200 clients in the last year, Reesor said.
Funds raised during Mohan's ride help support the mission through the summer months when money is typically short, Reesor added. "Homelessness just keeps happening all summer. There's no break from being homeless."
Hilly terrain and headwinds were just two of the difficulties Mohan faced on his trip.
"It's amazing how much you can do when you have the wind on your back," Mohan said, of the trip and the charity. "I think it's like that with poverty and homelessness. When people have some momentum and they have some encouragement and some supports, they can accomplish a lot that they just didn't think that they could."
Though Mohan didn't get to buy a shiny sports car as his mid-life crisis toy, he did get to take a red Corvette out for a spin after his bike ride ended - then he had to give it back. Staff at Siloam arranged the loaner.
His leg muscles tight from the long bike ride, Mohan grimaced slightly as he eased his way into the low-slung convertible.
"I'd like to say that my mid-life crisis is over," said Mohan. He and his wife Sheila smiled broadly and waved as they accelerated out on the highway, celebrating the end of his long journey.
-will.tremain@freepress.mb.ca
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