Meet the 2025 Fundraising Tour

Into the Balkans – A New Fundraising Ride Begins

On May 1, 2025, I’ll be back in the saddle for a new chapter of Coaching for a Better World. The starting line? Verona, Italy – a city of love, history, and (hopefully) good coffee. This was my first destination of the 2017 fundraising tour. The goal this time? Istanbul, Turkey – where East meets West, and this 3,000-kilometer journey will (if all goes well) end in early June.

Between those two points lies an adventure through 10 countries of the Balkans. And let me tell you: it won’t be easy.

Mountains, Weather, and Worn-out Legs

Anyone who’s ever biked through this region knows – the Balkans are beautiful, but they don’t give anything away for free. There will be steep mountain climbs, rough roads, unexpected downpours, and days when every part of my body will beg me to stop. I’ve learned from past tours: the wind doesn’t care about your plans, and a broken derailer happens when you least expect it.

But that’s also part of the point. The struggle is what makes the journey meaningful. It’s in those hard moments that I learn the most – about patience, about perseverance, and sometimes, about how creative I can get when trying to dry clothes in the rain.

The Joy of the Road: People and Stories

And then, there’s the magic. The unplanned coffee offered by a stranger. The homemade meal from someone who doesn’t speak my language, but speaks fluent hospitality. The laughter shared with fellow cyclists, the scary sights of wandering dogs, or the border guard who just wants to know why on earth someone would cycle all the way to Istanbul.

Meeting people from different cultures – sharing stories, being welcomed into their worlds – that’s the real gift of these tours. These encounters have a way of making the world feel smaller, kinder, and more connected. This feels like more important than ever giving what is going on in the world right now.

Riding with Purpose

Like past tours, this one isn’t just for the adventure. I’m riding to raise funds for the Cosmikk Foundation, which supports leaders of humanitarian NGOs in crisis areas with coaching and leadership development. These are the people working every day to make the world a better place – but often without the support they need to grow as leaders. With your help, we can change that.

Come Along for the Ride

I’ll be updating the blog along the way – stories from the road, photos, maybe even the occasional rant about sore legs, sick climbs, or the weather. If you’ve been following since Canada, you know the drill: it’ll be messy, meaningful, and probably full of surprises.

Thanks for being here. Let’s ride on – into the unknown, into the Balkans, and into something bigger than ourselves.