National Hockey League (NHL) official Dan O’Rourke put in some pretty impressive training during his offseason, and it’s for a good cause.
O’Rourke rode his bicycle from Santa Clara, California, to Chicago to raise money for the National Federation of the Blind.
His adventure lasted six weeks, starting on July 27 before ending on Wednesday. In total he covered exactly 4,023 KM.
A challenge for his father
The 51-year-old said he decided to take on the challenge for his father, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa. It is a rare eye condition that affects the retina and slowly destroys it over time, leading to blindness.
His grandfather also suffered from the same illness.
“[Mon père] decided to take on the challenge of learning Braille at the age of 75. “After everything he’s done, it was worth it to go on this adventure,” O’Rourke said in an interview on the website NHL.com.
He also wanted to support NFB’s BELL Academy (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning), a summer training program in Braille and learning techniques that enables visually impaired children to gain the skills and confidence they need to live independently.
So far he has raised $46,000 for this organization.
“It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done that my wife and I have done, apart from our kids,” said the Canadian.
snags
Obviously, such a challenge comes with some obstacles, and someone who has worked for the Bettman circuit since 1999 has experienced some unpredictability.
Among other things, he suffered a flat tire while driving and the fan belt on his recreational vehicle broke.
However, he said his funniest anecdote occurred in a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“I had a pretty bad fall where my pants ripped and my left buttock was hanging out. I kind of crashed there and got burned,” he joked.
The Calgary native was so excited about the experience that he and his partner are thinking about repeating such a trip.