It was important for David Parke to get back on his bike.
The 48-year-old North Vancouver father of two had a life-changing mountain biking accident on a local trail June 13, 2010 that left him paralyzed from the neck down.
"It was a ride I had been down many times before," says the experienced biker.
Towards the bottom of Boundary DH on Mount Fromme, Parke lost control on a corner on an elevated platform. "My bike went one way and I went the other and jack hammered head first into the landing," he says.
After the crash, what followed was an extensive period of recovery, primarily at Vancouver General Hospital and GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. Parke, who is considered an incomplete quadriplegic, has continued to make impressive gains. Two and a half months after the crash he was able to start walking again, though four years later still does not have complete use of his hands and feet, and experiences sleeplessness due to neuropathic pain, and fatigue.
From early on, he was encouraged to get back on his bike by his medical team, doing so prior to being discharged from his three-and-a-half-month stay at GF Strong. Once home, he recalls the first few times he attempted to go cycling by himself, initially to the end of his driveway, then out into his neighbourhood. "Just going around the block was a real physical challenge and a mental challenge for so many reasons. It was just the fear of getting back up on the horse so to speak. I gradually just built on it," says the film technician and current Langara recreation program student.
Fast-forward to today and Parke has found the confidence to embark on a bike-focused project allowing him to give back to the organizations and people that helped him in his recovery. As a means of raising funds and awareness for those impacted by spinal cord injuries, he set off on his bicycle from Dease Lake in northern B.C. June 2 and hopes to arrive in the Lower Mainland, an approximately 1,750-kilometre journey, by the end of the month.
Calling the journey Ride For Spine, proceeds will support Spinal Cord Injury B.C., a non-profit that offers a variety of programs supporting individuals and families, including peer support and resource information. Along the way, Parke hopes to engage with community members and those involved with the organization as well as those who share his interest in the cause.
Overall, he hopes to set a positive example for others in recovery.
"I just want to do something good for the people of B.C. and Spinal Cord Injury B.C. seems to be the best people to direct those funds towards because there's a lot of people that have very little resources once you get out of the cities and that needs to change. I think if they can see that things are possible, that they're not alone, they can meet and socialize and grow and have a great future. Just seeing that light sometimes is tough for most people," he says. To make a donation, visit sci-bc.ca/event-detail/ride-spine.
