ONE - Arctic to Argentina A2A

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Cycling on Daebudo Island, South Korea

MEDIA COVERAGE:

• Korea Herald: Cyclist to pedal [three] Americas for charity November 23, 2011
• Busan Haps: South Korea’s local Expat News, July 8, 2010
• The Korea Times: National News in South Korea, Sept. 1, 2009
• The Korea Times: National News in South Korea, July 15, 2009
• Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) World Radio: Newstream & interview on Cycling in Korea & my Arctic Global Bike 2012.
• TBS eFM 101.3FM, Korea’s Traffic Broadcasting System.
  July 22, 2009. Featured interview on Kickstart, a popular morning show hosted by DJ’s Erica & Shane.

Expat Cyclist Plans Mammoth Journey

Brian Perich heads out onto the open road in a recent cycling trip in Korea. The 36-year-old Canadian, who organizes the informal local cycling club Cycling International, is planning a mammoth journey from the Canadian Arctic to South America in aid of two North American charities.
/ Courtesy of Brian Perich

Canadian Lays Groundwork to Recruit for Trans-American Charity Effort From Alaska

By Bryan Kay
Staff Reporter, The Korea Times

When Brian Perich arrived back in Korea late in 2006, it was perhaps only a matter of time before he bought a mountain bike and started to pound the tarmac snaking around the country.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before the 36-year-old Canadian, who lives in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, picked up a bargain basement set of spoked wheels to help quench his thirst for the open road.

The founder of Cycling International, an informal group of Korean and expat cyclists set up in February 2007, has a goal of seismic proportions: to bike from the Canadian Arctic, as far south as he can possibly go ― and he wants fellow enthusiasts to join him for the ride.

Perich, originally from Windsor, Ontario, can trace his love for cycling back to the 1980s when he was part of several road-racing clubs.

“(Back then) I was not really into it. But it must have been about 1990, though, when I came across touring,” he explained. “So, I took a few friends, we got up early, and in 10 hours we did 240 kilometers. And we cycled back.”

There began a love story that has spiraled 19 years ― taking in Canada, the United States and Korea ― involved a flirtation with motor-biking thousands of kilometers, and now has the English teacher aiming to head for Anchorage, Alaska, in 2012 to embark upon his mammoth journey across the Americas.

The grand plan has the dual aims of raising cash for charity and as an outlet for his energies. And Perich hopes to encourage others to join him on the trip ― or at the very least join one of Korea’s cycling groups.

“I started out around Ansan, then Suwon, then toward Pyeongtaek,” he said. “From there I started to go out to the east coast… and eventually all the way down to Busan.

“Over the course of the last two years, I have been meeting random people. That’s what brought about Cycling International, through a Facebook group. It is just about trying to get like-minded people together.”

But the ultimate goal is his trans-Americas mission, which he has dubbed “One Cycle, One Man (+Riders), One Charity, Global Bike from the Arctic.”

“What this is ultimately about is training and preparing for the ride to the Arctic all the way down, perhaps all the way to the bottom of South America,” Perich continued. “I want to get people inspired. I’ve already got a company ready to give me a discount for a bike.”

The charities he has earmarked as the beneficiaries of his fund-raising effort ― the Canadian and American branches of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation ― are to act as a guiding network for the arduous journey.

The non-profit organization Get Your Guts in Gear would be the spur, helping organize presentations at key locations on his route, where he says he could stage motivational presentations that could lead to donations to the cause.

“The cycling is more a means of survival for me here. The teaching thing is done for me. I want to pour myself into this. After motorcycling for so many years and with the emphasis on the environment and being green, this seems like the right thing,” said Perich.

“There are so many people who have accumulated thousands of kilometers doing things like this, and there are more organized cycling groups here in Korea worth looking into.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about cycling groups in Korea or Perich’s Arctic mission can contact him at 010-8075-5121 or email tesol2000@gmail.com  bpexpedition@gmail.com

bk@koreatimes.co.kr

Arctic2Argentina 2012 – Interview with Bob Stewart.

Perich to pedal from the Arctic to Argentina in 2012 awareness ride

by Brian 브라이안 Perich  on Monday, September 6, 2010 at 12:04am

LaSalle adventurer set to trek for IBD

MARATHON RIDER: Brian Perich takes a self-portrait while on a recent training ride in South Korea. Perich, a LaSalle native, currently lives in Seoul, South Korea, but will be returning toCanada for a massive Arctic Circle to South America ride for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada in 2012.

By Bob Stewart

Brian Perich’s adventures have seen him crisscross North America on a motorcycle, accumulating 24,000 km in 60 days; lead groups of teens and adults on 10-day canoe trips through Quetico Provincial Park near Atikokan, Ont.; and fully restore a Jeep in 22 days and drive it from Windsor to Victoria, BC, and eventually San Diego, Calif., before taking up surfing and mediation.

Following a 1998 motorcycle accident in Vancouver, in which he crashed broadside into a car that slid into his lane, causing extensive damage to his sciatic nerve, Perich, 36, a LaSalle native and graduate of St. Anne’s Secondary in Tecumseh, was described by paramedics at the scene as a “wandering nomad.” But his biggest adventure is yet to come.

In 2012, Perich will cycle northeast from Anchorage, Alaska, towards Inuvik, NWT, before turning southwest and traversing Canada from the Arctic Circle through the Yukon and British Columbia before turning east and cycling all the way to the east coast of Canada, where he’ll make a right and pedal down the eastern seaboard, meeting up with hundreds of cyclists from the Get Your Guts in Gear tour in New York City before cutting down through Texas and into Mexico, through Cental and South America before ending in Argentina.

The globe-pedalling tour is all part of raising money and awareness for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and theCrohn’s and Colitis Foundations of both Canada and the United States.

See Cycle, page 12.

Perich is calling his Arctic leg of the race, simply, One—Arctic to Argentina 2012.

IBD is a group of disorders that cause the sections of the gastrointestinal tract to become inflamed and ulcerated through an abnormal response of the body’s immune system. There are two main forms of IBD: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). “It’s all about raising social awareness for those suffering with IBD and living to their fullest with a chronic illness for which there is no cure,” said Perich from his current home in his wife’s

native South Korea, where he teaches English when not cycling throughout the country with the informal cycling group he founded, Cycling International.

“They need our support, so I am riding for them, and asking for community or charity donations to fund research for a cure, supporting the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundations of Canada and America, to continue their research to help improve the quality of life for those suffering from IBD.”

Currently, there are approximately 200,000 Canadians and 1.4 million Americans suffering from IBD-related illnesses. Although there is currently no cure for IBD, The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada is a not-for-profit organization that believes a cure can be found.

Cycling chronicles

Perich’s cycling adventures across the Korean peninsula have become something of an Internet sensation through his blog and on the social networking site Facebook, where the almost daily updates and photo essays of his site-seeing, training and good will-spreading. Perich’s One adventure has received media coverage for his cycling endeavors on he Korean Broadcasting System’s KBS radio, and in the Korean Times national newspaper.

“Anyone joining this ride can support another charity of their choosing and we can ride supporting each other,” Perich explained. “Also, anyone that is interested is welcome to join segments of this bicycle expedition for fun, adventure and a load of cycling on the road. There’s no barriers or attitudes. It’s about moving in a new direction.”

You can follow Perich’s cycling adventures through his blog at http://korean-world.blogspot.com/

INTERNATIONAL PEDALLER: Brian Perich in South Korea, following a cycling trip from Gangneung, Gangwondo province to Busan, Gyeongsannamdo Province on the Korean peninsula’s east coast earlier in 2009.

[Since this article was written:  I have teamed with Educationthroughexpeditions.org ETE founder, Polar Explorer - Antony Jinman. Since the new launch of this non-profit, global green educational programme, there will be regular updates from the expedition directly linked to school educational programs in the UK and other participating countries. It's truly rewarding working with Antony's non-profit organization raising environmental, cultural and health awareness while pursuing the limits of the human potential, on a 32,000km marathon.]*

Other Media:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/program/program_seoulreport_detail.htm?No=2704&current_page=10

http://www.educationthroughexpeditions.org/expedition/expedition_perich.numo 

http://korean-world.blogspot.com/ or http://arctic2argentina.com/  

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2009/07/177_48460.html 

http://arctic2argentina.com/2009/09/02/the-korea-times-charity-mission-to-conquer-americas-taking-shape/ 

http://takeonafrica.com/bike-expedition/interview-with-brian-from-korean-world/   -Thanks Helen!

http://www.prescottyellowpages.com/Video/MP3/ORIG/ProfBrianPerich/Prof_Brian_Perichraw_orig.mp3  (find more at http://downtheroad.org/  ) -Thanks Tim & Cindie!

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2010/08/177_48460.html 

http://www.vimeo.com/7368556   Cycling in Korea, Arctic to Argentina 2012, TBS 101.3 eFM Seoul, Korea interview+