Cycling chiropractors spreading the message of preventing health problems

Four Ontario chiropractic students aren't biking across Canada looking for donations for any particular cause. They just want to set a healthy example and hopefully encourage Canadians to improve fitness.
"Our whole concept is, a lot of bike riders raise money for some disease, but we're trying to prevent disease in the first place," said Toronto's Dan Kay, 25. He and fellow Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College students Kate Rood, 23, Becky Carpenter, 23, and Dave Clinning, 22, are all biking across Canada.
The crew began biking from Vancouver on June 13 and intends to arrive in Halifax on Aug. 13. It passed through Moose Jaw on Tuesday.
Kay said the team bikes in two-person shifts, with whoever isn't biking speaking about healthy lifestyle choices at Boys' and Girls' Clubs along the route.
Topics of discussion include items such as the Canadian Food Guide. Kay said his group does a series of activities and games with the youth as well at every stop.
On average, the crew bikes about 150 kilometres per day, although some days it can go 230 kilometres. According to Kay, despite bicycling through the mountains, the worst stretch of the journey so far was on Monday.
"We hit a pretty serious eastbound wind."
For lodging, the crew is staying with chiropractors across Canada. However, when no chiropractor is available, the crew camps out. Kay told the Times-Herald cycling is an interesting exercise for a group of chiropractic students to endure, since it's actually stressful on one's neck.
However, he said chiropractic students learn enough about proper stretching technique to avoid any serious injury or pain.
For more about the group's trek, visit www.unleashcanada.org.

Carter Haydu can be reached at 691-1265.