We met Damian Day in Rotorua. He’s a blog reader who has been following our site for about a year. Through Facebook we were able to meet up in town. His story is inspiring and humbling. Despite having several nerve disorders in addition to being autistic, he rides his bicycle 8-10,000 kilometers a year. He has to. His bicycle is his physical therapy and if he doesn’t keep riding he may end up in a wheelchair. We spent a few days chatting and getting to know him better at a backpackers. We split ways on Christmas eve and wished each other well. We always keep a look out now for another cyclist on the road with small wheels pulling a trailer. Keep the rubber side down, Damian!

(Keep our adventures going and the site growing! If you’ve enjoyed our stories, videos and photos over the years, consider buying our ebook Panniers and Peanut Butter, or our new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)