Today is the day that I finally completed my incredible journey across the Americas! It’s been an entire year, five months, and nine days of hard work, determination, and adventure to reach this momentous goal. I spent ten months and ten days on the road, making sure to take some well-deserved rest days along the way. Our journey began on July 4, 2022, at North Pole, Alaska, and exactly one year later, we embarked again from Cartagena, Colombia, on July 4, 2023. And now, here we are, on this very day, December 9, 2023, one year to the day of finishing in Panama, marking the end of this incredible chapter of the Octogenaria Odyssey.

Just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of watching a movie called “Nyad.” It tells the inspiring story of a remarkable woman who bravely swam from Cuba to Florida, overcoming the challenges of shark-infested waters. It took her five attempts, and she achieved this incredible feat at the age of 63. Her message resonated deeply with me: never give up, age is not a barrier, and having a strong support system is crucial when pursuing our dreams. We simply can’t do it alone.

Throughout this journey, I was fortunate to have two amazing teams by my side. In North America, I had the incredible support of Wayne, Yiota, Kyle, Kim, and Johana. In South America, I was accompanied by Gloria, Johana, Julie, Rachel, Mike, Bernice, Donna, and Laura. I can’t thank all of you enough for your unwavering support and companionship throughout this incredible adventure. You were all truly amazing. I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my daughter Janet, who has always been my biggest cheerleader, supporting me in all my endeavors, no matter how seemingly impossible. Last but definitely not least, I want to extend a special thank you to all my friends on Facebook and Instagram for your constant words of encouragement and support. Your comments were great.
Besides all of those mentioned above, I would be remiss without thanking all my sponsors. They played a major part in this journey. Thank you EVELO Electric Bicycles, Aggressor Adventures, Redshift. Cyclemeter, Swagman, Rapha Clothing, IronSimith Smart Helmets, Airbnb, McCrady Rourke Advisory at Nesbitt Burns, Classic Vacations, and to all those who made a donation to the Odyssey.

As I stand here today, the weather is quite foggy, and it’s a chilly six degrees. However, there is no wind to contend with. It’s the perfect moment to bring my Octogenarian Odyssey 2.0 to a close.