Fast Eddie
Seeking joy after his life-threatening diagnosis, a determined father attempts one last adventure with his daughter: an ambitious bike ride that will push them to physical and emotional limits.
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Four years ago, former cyclist and charismatic go-getter Eddie was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy, a terminal neurodegenerative disorder that has taken his voice, mobility, and quality of life. Not ready to give in to the disease, Eddie and his daughter Keely prepare for their greatest adventure together: a gruelling bike ride around Central Otago’s Lake Dunstan trail.
Chatting to Trail Hub, Keely explains that Eddie had always wanted to retire to Cromwell or the Central Otago region and had close connections to the mountain bike scene, having ridden many of its trails.
“When the idea of one last adventure was initially discussed with Dad, we thought maybe a trip to Fiji for a holiday would be a nice idea”, said Keely.
“But no! Dad had other ideas and the lure of riding the new and exciting Lake Dunstan Trail was just too much for him to ignore”!
“The theme of the film also quickly changed, from being one about Multiple System Atrophy, to a film about overcoming adversity and facing a monumental challenge”.
“For Eddie, to take on riding the Lake Dustan Trail unassisted was a massive test, and to be honest I was really scared for his safety and wellbeing when we first started out on the trail. But those concerns were soon replaced by sheer joy and excitement as we set off on the trail together”, explained Keely.
We won’t give any more away, you’ll need to watch the video for the whole story, but it’s truly inspirational and a testament to one “stubborn Kiwi dude” as Keely refers to Eddie.
To find out more about Multiple System Atrophy and how you can support or donate to research, then please visit:
https://www.parkinsons.org.nz/ or https://neurological.org.nz/
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