David Morland
Age: 49
Occupation: Director, Cisco Systems
Hometown: Oakville, Ontario
Family: Blissfully married
My biggest physical accomplishment(s) to date: Two Teenaged Daughters ... oh, and four Half Ironman; three 240km days of the National Ride last year; two Tour for Kids first year and last year.
“Because I think I can” ... and ... “If not now ... when?”
I’ve lived in 9 different countries, on four different continents and landed up in Canada just over ten years ago. I got the cycling buzz about 5 years ago, thanks to the likes of Art Slaughter, Dan Watt, Kevin Wallace, Gears and Jeff Rushton. I still curse them for it. I’ve always been relatively active, try anything, competent enough at some things (except skating) but never very good at anything. So I’ve got three rules, and in this order: no permanent injury; finish; and enjoy it. Only after those can I ask “what was my time?” or “who won?” etc. Taking part, enjoying it, and helping others enjoy it too, is way more important to me than where I place. Hence my enthusiasm for cycling as a sport that encourages a wonderful, personalized combination of fun, good-for-you, hard punishment, challenge, help others, be helped by others, concentration, endurance, heroes, sweating and giving. I agree, it’s not about the bike, because I reckon it’s about the people on the bikes around you. Give to get.
My connection with our cause is, thankfully, more through the heroes that organize, participate in, and volunteer for the event, along with Tour for Kids. It is their leadership and the inspiration of the selfless riders and volunteers who give, that draws me to the cause and to the events. People like Louisa Cantelon, who picked me up on the first morning of the first day of the first year of Tour for Kids and has kept smiling at me ever since. Last year I was privileged to be allowed to join the National Ride for three days (Toronto-Kingston-Ottawa-Montreal) . . . and the mix of morning tears at the events and speeches then made the 240kms of sweat afterwards that much more compelling. Give to get.
And the chance to be allowed to join the ride this year, from Owen Sound to Halifax, half way across the second largest country in the world, raising awareness and money for such a just cause for such an unjust disease compels me to get going and give.
“The love you take . . . is equal to the love you make.” Final lines, Abbey Road, The Beatles.
