Keith Martin 2002 biking across Canada to fight MD

4/29/2008

By Richard wills, Publications Editor

Muscular Dystrophy is a disabling condition? Tell that to MD sufferer Keith Martin 2002, who is undertaking a cross-Canada bicycle trip to help himself and others fight this crippling disease.

Now studying engineering physics at the University of British Columbia, Keith and four student friends will spend their summer biking across Canada to raise money to fight MD. Leaving UBC in mid-May, the five bikers will ride to St. John’s, Newfoundland, camping and staying in B&Bs along with way. Their goal is to raise $100,000 to help fund research into MD.

The Moving Muscles Ride 2008 may prove exhausting for Keith. The disease saps his strength. But, even though there is no cure, his doctors say the best therapy is to keep active. “I’m lucky, as other sufferers are confined to a wheelchair or a bed,” says Keith. “My future with this disease is uncertain, because there is no cure or treatment for it. My hope is that I will be able to, at best, maintain my current lifestyle by constant movement of my muscle groups to avoid further deterioration.”

Keith knew he had a physical problem since he was 14, but it was not until 2005 that it was confirmed that he had MD. Obviously, Keith’s symptoms are not as pronounced as they are for some MD sufferers, being mostly confined to his upper body and face. The condition gives him a slightly crooked smile and a bit of a limp.

MD also makes it impossible for Keith to lift his arms above his head, which may surprise friends who know him as an avid golfer who hit a hole-in-one in Knowlton in May, 2001 and has taken part in the Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament.

“Muscular Dystrophy definitely affects my golf game,” Keith admits. “I’m still able to play at a good club level with a 10 handicap, but I definitely can’t get the power in my game that I would normally have. Still, there’s a lot to be said for being consistent and having a good short game, so that's what I rely on more, rather than my length.”

When Keith got the idea of raising money for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, friends Brian Sprague and Mike McDonald suggested a cross-country bike trip. They were soon joined by schoolmates Jonathan Eric Taves and Patrick Cuthbert.

“Not only was it personal for me, but I also felt that we could be very successful,” Keith says.

The team has set up a website at www.movingmusclesride.ca and will be posting their blog as the ride progresses. At the time this article was written, the team has raised $54,300 toward their $100,000 goal, and they hadn’t even started to pedal yet.

Sponsors of the Moving Muscles Ride 2008 are: Bombardier; Specialized; Colby, Monet, Demers, Delage, and Crevier; McLean Budden Investment Managers; London X-Ray Associates; Sentry Select Capital Corp; MacDougall, MacDougall, MacTier; MacDougall Investment Counsel; and Reitman’s Canada.

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