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My most impactful experience of my journey so far: Resilience and everyone’s right to Dream
CONTINUE READING: My most impactful experience of my journey so far: Resilience and everyone’s right to DreamIt was a surprise when Katja arrived back to the Kynnys Turku office with her daughter Amanda at her side. I had heard about Amanda in our earlier conversation together with the Kynnys team, where we discussed the hard work Kynnys was doing fighting for disability rights in Finland with unfortunately diminishing funding, the importance…
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First Big Milestone of the Trip: Helsinki to Paris!
CONTINUE READING: First Big Milestone of the Trip: Helsinki to Paris!Wow! After 3,679 km (2,286 miles), 20,807 meters (68,264 feet) of elevation gain (2.3x the height of mount Everest – and this has been through pretty flat countries 😅), and 47 days of biking, I rode from Helsinki, Finland to Paris, France, and have pedaled over halfway through Europe! My apologies for being so quiet…
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Deadlines, Shifting Inward, and a Very Sore Butt – Reflections on my ride through Sweden
CONTINUE READING: Deadlines, Shifting Inward, and a Very Sore Butt – Reflections on my ride through SwedenMy ride through Sweden was interesting, filled with long days on the bike, some rushing and stress from self-imposed deadlines, lots of reflecting on my trip and why I’m doing it, and physically-demanding riding with a very sore butt by the end. In total, I rode from Grisselhamn to Gothenburg, covering 778 km (483 miles)…
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Personal Story of Kamil Goungor: Disability Activist, Passionate Traveler, and Humble Optimist
CONTINUE READING: Personal Story of Kamil Goungor: Disability Activist, Passionate Traveler, and Humble Optimist“When we created the organization, people didn’t know about personal assistance, independent living, this kind of stuff… today we have PA legislation, we have pilot projects for about 2,000 people enjoying some personal assistance… It’s not perfect, but it’s a huge difference from when we started, so we’re happy and proud about that.” Meet Kamil…
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Experiencing the Magical Åland Islands by bike
CONTINUE READING: Experiencing the Magical Åland Islands by bikeWow, I’ve now been on the road for over two weeks, and it’s been such an incredible, insightful, meaningful, and fun adventure so far! Once I arrived to Turku from Helsinki I took two “rest” days in Turku, which were actually crazy busy. I had a great meeting with Kynnys Ry in Turku (I’ll write…
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Kynnys Ry, the Finnish mavericks for independent living!
CONTINUE READING: Kynnys Ry, the Finnish mavericks for independent living!I had the pleasure and privilege to meet with Kynnys twice during my ride through Finland, both in Helsinki and Turku. During our meetings, I learned so much about the situation with accessibility, disability rights, and independent living in Finland. Kynnys Ry, or Threshold Association in English, was founded by a group of disabled students…
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Reflections on the First Week of the trip: Helsinki to Turku
CONTINUE READING: Reflections on the First Week of the trip: Helsinki to TurkuWow, it’s crazy and amazing that the journey has begun, and it definitely hasn’t fully sunk in yet honestly. It’s a surreal feeling to be embarking on this adventure that I’ve been dreaming about for the last two years. I just want to start by thanking everyone for the amazing support and encouragement so far,…
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Official Fundraising Page for ENIL and Podcast Episode About My Trip
CONTINUE READING: Official Fundraising Page for ENIL and Podcast Episode About My TripI’m very excited to share my official fundraising page supporting the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) as part of my trip! A huge part of my mission with my bike trip from Helsinki to Cape Town is to raise money and promote amazing organizations fighting for the equal human rights of people with disabilities…
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Why I Chose My Route Through Europe and Africa?
CONTINUE READING: Why I Chose My Route Through Europe and Africa?Contrast. Diversity. Challenge. Soul. I think there will be a lot of all of these during my ride through Europe and Africa. Perhaps there are no two continents that better exemplify our complex world than these, with the history of colonialism and the deep scars it left, inequality, disparity, repression, yet at the same time…
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Partnering with ENIL to Promote Independent Living for People with Disabilities Across Europe
CONTINUE READING: Partnering with ENIL to Promote Independent Living for People with Disabilities Across EuropeExciting update: I’m partnering with the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) to raise awareness and funds for their work fighting for the right to independent living and political representation from people with disabilities throughout Europe and beyond. The European Network on Independent Living, or ENIL, is a network and forum of disability organizations and…