'It restores your faith in humanity': Vancouver Island man, 72, prepares to cycle to Newfoundland

SAANICH, B.C. -

As Fred takes a framed photo off the wall, showing a winning a moment from his 40-year career working with race horses, he admits he was feeling stuck.

"The horses were a lot of fun. The people were a lot of fun," Fred says. “But I was miserable.”

The 24/7 schedule had taken a major toll on his physical and mental health.

Although the then 60-year-old had no other skills and couldn’t afford to retire, Fred quit his career and moved across the country to the West Coast.

“It scared the heck out of me,” Fred admits. “[But] if I didn’t leave and change my life, it wasn’t going to work out very well for me.”

When he arrived in Victoria, he got a job washing cars.

“It was a big pay cut!” Fred laughs. “But I didn’t care.”

The perks felt priceless.

“I got weekends off,” Fred says. “I was done at five o’clock.”

Fred made the most of his newfound freedom. He started gardening, relaxing with his dog June, and attempting to do what he hadn’t done since he was a child — ride a bike.

“I loved it,” he says. “Once I found the bike there was nothing else I wanted to do, only ride!”

So the then 65-year-old decided to ride his bike to visit his sisters in Newfoundland. It took about 12 weeks to cross the country, camping along the way, cycling 100 kilometres a day.

“The first 10 kilometres are ugh,ugh,ugh. But then your body gets warm,” Fred smiles. “It’s fabulous. It’s a great feeling.”

Which is why Fred says he’s cycled two more times across Canada since. He even brought June along once, in a trailer behind his bike.

“It restores your faith in humanity I can tell you that,” Fred smiles.

He says he experienced countless acts of kindness from strangers who passed him along the way, from being gifted a fruit plate to being offered a place to stay.

“I had one guy who gave me $20 to buy my dog a steak dinner!” Fred laughs.

Now the 72-year-old is preparing to cycle solo, embarking on his fourth ride to Newfoundland.

He’s packing no regrets and offering plenty of encouragement to others hoping to change direction on the road of life.

“It’ll be rough at first, but it will be okay. It will work out,” Fred smiles. “Right now it’s the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”