All Stars

Epilogue

iantyson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:14:58 GMT

Well, it's done... I took a few days to digest the tour (and a fair bit of turkey) before I wrote anything. I can't believe it's over. When I try to think of the whole thing, it's a blur and I can't focus on particular details, I have to look at it by days and by shows, then it is clear as day.

To wrap up, I had two great shows on the island, John Barsby in Nanaimo and Royal Oak in Victoria. Both were very different crowds, with great energy, and it was a wonderful way to end it all. After finishing the last show, I drove down to "Mile 0" of the Trans Canada and did some pics and video, it was fun! I even got the shoes and socks off and got my feet into the Pacific - awesome! It was all very surreal as the realization of the distance, time and people I had encountered started to wash over me... all very cool. One of my dearest friends happened to be working on the island, so he met up with me for a late celebratory dinner, which was great. A late rise the next day and nice breakfast, then the ferry back to Vancouver (along with some repacking of the car and bags while in line), relaxing at Z's, catching a movie and then - the flight home. I had a relaxing flight and burst into tears when I came around the corner to see Leigh and the girls waiting for me with signs and smiling faces, it was a great reunion. It was the longest I had ever been away from them and was hard to do, but definitely worth it for the experience I had. The fact is, I couldn't have done it without their support.

There are a lot of people that I should thank now that I'm talking about it, and there is no better time than the present!!

Leigh, Gabbie and Sam, my ladies - your support, love and confidence in me is why I'm at this point, I carried you with me all the way across the country... as I do always.
Dad, Yvette, Arnie, Sarah, Christian and the nieces and nephews - your messages, notes, and constant backing me up was invaluable. You're my family and I love you.
Leigh Beachem and Rob Gerth from The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Foundation, thanks for making this so easy for me, for setting up the blogs and such and for giving me a forum to spread the word about the 2 namesakes of the organization who are an inspiration to us all.
My boy Danny and everyone at National Car rental; thanks for letting me keep the same car the whole way and for your great customer service, it was awesome!
To my friends who always have my back: Ryan, Stu, Scotty, John, Nibs, Philly D, Billy Edge, Z, Ace, Kuch, and many others who I am forgetting - thanks gang, you're the best friends a guy could ask for.
To my teacher advisor friends, thanks for having me be a part of your school year, and thanks for making the tour so wonderful. In particular as well to my friends on the board of CASAA, you helped me secure many of these shows with your support, I'm honored to sit at that table with you. Marc and Johnny O; you were two of the first on board and you did it without question or hesitation, you made it all real for me and got the ball rolling.
Phill and the gang at Eclipse Promotions - the T-shirts were awesome and thanks for cranking them out so quickly and on demand, much appreciated, hopefully there will be more orders coming in.
My old student council buddy Dan and Impressions Printing, thanks for getting the ticket stubs done so quickly for me pre-tour - they were great.
My cameraman Rob, it was an up and down ride, but the film should look great in the end, thanks for being a part of it and for "goin' prairie" with me.
Mom and Dad Fraser and the rest of the "in-law" clan - you guys have stood by me and be so supportive the whole way - thanks, as always, you make me feel like part of the family.
To the memory of the great Christopher Reeve, you are an inspiration to millions... and will continue to be. You are shining example that I share with students everyday that people who attempt something bigger than themselves, and step out of their boundaries, can affect the lives of other in positive ways. You make me realize that nothing is impossible, I will Go Forward.
And to the memory of my Mom... you are my greatest inspiration and the reason I get up there every day. You always made me believe that positive attitude can get you through anything, and you did it through your example. You were the embodiment of my credo "Pain is Inevitable, Misery is a Choice". Your memory has helped to inspire many people over the years and will continue to, thank you for what you gave to me and to all who met you. You touched many lives... just being you.

I am hoping to have a total of monies raised soon and will post it. It won't be what I set out to do (tough year to get corporate sponsors) but we did our best. Speaking of which, there are still Tee's and Dog Tags available for sale at www.iantyson.ca - buy em up!!! Every cent of profit goes to CDRF and we need more! There is also a link still active on my site for straight up donations - those are also welcome!

This has been the experience of a lifetime. Thanks for following along... I'm sorry they weren't as frequent as I initially said they would be, but I wasn't banking on being as tired as I was by the time I got to the hotels! I will likely do another couple of blogs/videos as totals come in.

I could not do this without the support of all you! Thanks.

Much Love,

Ian

The Last Night...

iantyson — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:26:57 GMT

Well... I'm on the island, the last stop... one more day. Is it weird that I have "One Day More" from Les Miserables going through my head?

I'm thrilled for this last day of shows, Nanaimo and Victoria. John Barsby High and Royal Oak - end of the line. I am literally going to the end of the line too - going to head to Mile Zero of the Trans Canada Highway tomorrow, gonna dip the toes in the water! (Hopefully not get soaked to the knee like I did in Cape Spear NL) I'm finding it hard to articulate how I'm feeling... exhausted, excited, thrilled, sad, a million things. This has been the experience of a lifetime!

I wanted to again thank all the sponsors that have helped out with the tour: The University of Mary, Streaming Digital Media dot Com, and Isagenix. Their help has been great through all of this. I would also like to thank all the hotels that comp'd and discounted rooms across the country:

The Comfort Inn St. John's
Quality Hotel St. John's
Comfort Inn Corner Brook
Marine Atlantic Ferries (for the discounted cabin)
Comfort Inn Dartmouth
Quality Inn Summerside PEI
Lakeside Inn Miramichi
Comfort Inn Pointe Claire
Quality Hotel Ottawa
Sleep Inn Sault Ste Marie
Travelodge Hotel Thunder Bay
Comfort Inn Winnipeg South
Ramada Inn Weyburn
Comfort Inn Medicine Hat
Econo Lodge Calgary
Auberge Brown B & B Olds AB (Thanks Peter and Linda great service!)
Prestige Resort Salmon Arm
Marc England's House!!
Best Western Dorchester Nanaimo

Many thanks to all!!

I'll write more soon to put final thoughts on the tour when I'm feeling more articulate... must sleep - big day tomorrow!!

Ian

A week off (sort of) and Here There Be Mountains!!

iantyson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:13:23 GMT

OK... so I took the week off thing a little too seriously... so for not blogging for a while, been all wrapped up in it!!!

Had great shows in Medicine Hat and Duchess and then headed to Calgary, there it was time to unwind, rest up, and prep for the week ahead. The week ahead was busy indeed, Canadian Student Leadership Conference in Olds! 800 students and teachers full of energy and dedicated to student leadership - my kind of week!! It was a great way to recharge even though I didn't sleep as much as I should have!! I love meeting and sharing ideas with all those students. There are a great many teachers there that are among my closest friends and it was great to see them. Had a CASAA Board meeting, and at the AGM was honored to receive the 2009 "Leader Of Distinction" Award for Ontario... I got emotional. In fact, I got emotional a lot last week, I guess I didn't realize how much the long haul was wearing me dowm. At opening ceremonies I showed a slide show of the trip so far and then had a chance to address the crowd. While up there I brought one of the cameras and recorded a video for my Dad's 65th birthday party (which I was going to miss)... I got choked up talking about the support Dad has always given me. I felt that emotion all week long, but had an absolute blast. I was just filled with excitement, and pride with what the tour has been and will continue to be.

Can't believe the change in the weather over the course of the week, when we arrived in Calgary last week it was in the mid 20's, it got colder through the week in Olds and last night and this morning... it snowed. I suppose it wouldn't be a trip across Canada without a little snow, only appropriate...

Had one of the drives I'd been looking forward to today, Calgary to Salmon Arm BC! Through the mountains and about 5 national parks - unbelieveable!!! It was a stellar drive and I got some great shots. My neck is sore from looking around so much!! So tomorrow is a school here and then another drive through the mountains and it's off to the lower mainland and my dear friend Marc. Marc is recovering from surgery and I'm looking forward to seeing him. Then the island and it's over, unreal.

We're in the homestretch friends... thanks for support. T-shirts are still on sale on the website ORDER NOW!! 100% of the the profits go to the Reeve Foundation!!

I've attached a fun photo from the nation's capital, one of my fav's from the tour thus far.

More soon...

Ian

"Weze Goin' Prairie!!"

iantyson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:52:38 GMT

I apologize that the daily aspect of the blogs has slipped more than little.... the days have been more exhausting than anticipated (though I should have). Had a great two days of shows in Thunder Bay. Rob felt we shot some of our best footage and had some really great schools, the kids were great! Having gone to Lakehead for 4th year, it was nice to get back and see some of the old places and a few old friends. There is nothing like the drive across Northern Ontario, except possibly some of the drives that lay ahead... this country is so beautiful!!

We went past the Terry Fox Memorial and had a moment of reflection there. Look I am not purporting to be doing anything to spectacular here - I'm driving across the country, and getting to do my job while I'm at it. Terry was running!! 26 miles a day!! and with only one leg. It was weird to realize at that point that every KM I had driven so far, all the scenery, the up and downs, winding roads, all of it - he had run. Sobering... that's a true hero, without a doubt. People like Terry, John Davidson, and of course Rick Hansen (whose foundation does work with The Reeve Foundation) they are the real heroes who have taken this journey or ones like it. It felt great to think of all of them and then face the road ahead.

So after a lengthy drive to Winnipeg, including a dicey side trip just outside the city when I thought I had run out of gas (always fill up in Kenora!!) we got in late and had a very brief sleep and them got up and did 2 great shows in Manitoba, and then left. I feel like we were hardly there... and it's true. I didn't even really get to go into to Winnipeg, or to see my buddy Philly D or my friend Sarah, which sucks. But the clock is ticking and I needed to get to Alberta for the conference and the other gigs - no way around it.

After the east side of Manitoba the sheild gave way to the prairies and Rob and I could finally live the line we'd been jokingly saying to each other for months "Weze Goin' Prairie!!" It started when he confirmed he was coming and we were talking about all the places we'd see and he piped up with that line which kind of became our rallying cry and email signature for some time. So now we're here! I'm in Weyburn Saskatchewan, and have shows here and Balgonie today... then it's off to Medicine Hat and a week of no driving!

This is the trip of a lifetime and I am loving every minute, the shows are rocking and we're getting great footage. Looking forward to sharing with you all!

More to come...

Ian

Days 9-11: Some Rest, The Capital, The Sheild and the Middle

iantyson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:15:40 GMT

This won't be long but I'll fill in the blanks on video later today...

Friday was a crazy and exhausting day, but totally worth it. Three really good shows at three great schools. Ottawa is such a great town, I got to remember why I enjoyed going to university there. We had a nice respite Friday night and saw some friends. Saturday we were able to see my sister who and a friend who were in town for a marathon. Then the past 2 days have been some long drives - we went Ottawa to the Sault and then from there to Thunder Bay yesterday, almost a quarter of the whole trip in 2 days )Ontario is big!!! Along the way the Canadian Shield opened up before us and we crossed the midway point. There are now more miles behind us than in front, nice feeling.

Now we have a couple of days of shows in Thunder Bay (another university town for me) and then the prairies await... Calgary by Friday!

We've got some good film and lots of other things I want to share... but I'm off to schools - more later.

Ian

Day 7 and 8: New Brunswick and Quebec, we hardly knew ya!

iantyson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:45:02 GMT

Tired is creeping over me... that's for sure. I need to get a better handle on sleeping at the right times to make sure I have the energy to get through the day. It's not affecting the shows, those are going well, but Rob and I are getting at each other a bit. I suppose I should have expected it, we've been together pretty much 24-7 for 10 days now, it's gonna happen. We are still trying to get a handle on the "when to film and what to film thing" the shows are all being put together nicely, but the non-show documentary stuff is harder to get, we're both so tired by the time we get in the car or back to the hotel. We had a great talk to today and I am confident it's all going to work itself out.

Had a great couple of days of shows in New Brunswick each with a unique personality and different vibe, but I loved it. Bathurst High was particularly emotional for me. given the tragedy they had a couple of years ago.. the wounds were still raw, but they were a raucous and enthusiastic crowd! Today we visited John Rennie and Mac High in Montreal, great times. My dear friend John O'Donnell at JR was the first person to officially book in the tour after I let him know the plan, it was great to see that gig come to fruition.

I guess the downside of the way I scheduled the tour is that we're barely seeing some of these places! Less than 24 hours in PEI, NB and QC repectively... it's going so fast! Thank goodness for 2 nights in Ottawa to relax at least a little. I hope to do a video blog tomorrow, I'm thinking alternating is the best way to keep it fresh and not bore you all to tears.

T-shirts and Dog Tags are selling well and that all means more money for the Reeve Foundation, I hope it keeps going that way.

It's almost 10, 3 shows tomorrow... gotta sleep. Thanks for all the support!

Ian

Day 6 Nova Scotia to PEI: The many West Coasts!

iantyson — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:32:07 GMT

Well, Day 6 brought us to Halifax West High and Northumberland High schools in Nova Scotia. Great schools, great kids I'm hitting my stride. The scenery as always was phenomenal, from there we headed to Summerside PEI (host city of last year's national student leadership conference) so beautiful! We made it in just in time to catch the sunset. I had the pleasure of seeing a PEI sunset last year and it really is something to behold. However I was struck by the fact that here we are driving west across the country and this is our second sunset over the ocean on a "West Coast". I realized that in Canada we are lucky to have mutiple provinces with west coasts on the ocean, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, PEI and I believe New Brunswick all have them - it's weird and very very cool.

Rob and I had a bit of re-pack on the car last night to make things a little more efficient. We also had a chat about our evenings... I realized how tired I was getting last night, after we had dinner, ran a couple of errands, watched a bit of TV and such, it was after 11 and I hadn't even replied to email yet or written a blog. We're going to be diligent about getting into the rooms and getting things done earlier or I am going to get really worn down really quickly. It's a team effort and we'll try and keep it balanced.

PEI and a northern Nova Scotia school today and then off to Miramichi New Brusnswick, I've never been - can't wait!

More to come!!

Ian

Re: Day 3 & 4... Boats and rest stops

gerthro — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:03:44 GMT

Watch Ian's growing list of video's as his trip progresses!

Rob
(The web guy, not Ian's camera guy.)

Day 3 & 4... Boats and rest stops

iantyson — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:40:26 GMT

Had an unbelievable first day of shows in Corner Brook! The energy in the room was insane and I fed off of it the whole time, two phenomenal shows! It was a heck of a way to start, and it set the tone for me and for my camera man Rob, he got a better sense of what I'll be doing day to day and how the school shows will work, we're finding the rhythm.

The drive from Corner Brook to Port Au Basques was really amazing... Rob got some great shots. We had one of those moments you can't plan and that you have to take advantage of... driving due south on the TCH, we came out of the mountains and the ocean laid out before us, the sun was almost down and the road was about to turn away from the water as we were about 20 mins from Port Au Basques. There was a bit of an outcropping/cliff overlooking the ocean at the turn, and the was a small gravel patch we could pull into. We did, and went to edge of the cliff and watched the sun go down over the ocean. One of the more beautiful sunsets you will ever see... glad we stopped.

We left NFLD behind with a sense of awe and satisfaction of a good start. Maybe I was keyed up from the drive and the day, but I slept awful on the 7 hour ferry ride across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia. So, I didn't feel great, but we drove the 4 and half hours into to Halifax, checked into the hotel and napped out for a couple of hours. Then we went out for dinner with some old friends, one of the side benefits of this tour - all the friends I get to see!

Today is laundry and a visit to my in laws who live out here... 5 provinces in 5 days this week, stay tuned...

Ian

Day 2 Continued: Is this the way to Mordor...?

iantyson — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:36:22 GMT

OK what a drive!! I have seen the west part of the island before, but not the other 3/4 of it - such incredible landscape!

Let me preface this next part by saying to those of you who don't know... I'm a major nerd... but it was like driving through the Lord of the Rings today. There was hilly areas that were reminiscent of the Shire, boulder pocked fields like the Kingdom of Rohan, forests like Fanghorn, rolling hills, mountains, lakes and river that could have been pulled from Gondor - it was very cool. I kept thinking I'd see a group of Hobbit's come over the next ridge.

What I'm trying to say is that it was spectacular and I was glad we had a nice to to drive it. 700 km's behind us, and the first 2 official shows are tomorrow... this is where it all begins. I am in desperate need of shave and hair trim, then we suit up and hit the ferry tomorrow night. May not be able to blog until I get to Nova Scotia. Shot a video blog last night, but it's not up yet - should be soon.

Only the beginning.... so much more to come that I can't even imagine.

Trying to figure out how to save my maps as a JPEG from Google so that I can show you the routes... I'll figure it out.

More soon,

Ian

Day 2: Gentlemen, start your engines....

iantyson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:11:43 GMT

I plan on writing something more substantial this evening when we get in, but I'm up before my alarm and ready to get underway. Today, we really put tire to pavement and get the first 700 km's behind us: St. John's to Corner Brook. This promises to be a spectacular drive.

After running around a bit, getting the car, and loading up on supplies yesterday, we went to Cape Spear, literally the outside edge of North America. Now, I have already tweeted and posted on Fcebook about it so I won't go over it all again but sufficed to say - it was absolutely breathtaking. You truly feel as though you are on the edge of the world. I was taken aback by the beauty of the place and also had this moment of realization about what I was about to embark on. To think that 8000 km's west, there was another ocean waiting for me and all that will occur in the moments in between. I could not be more excited... and today it starts for real.

I feel odd to have written much of anything thus far, since we really haven't hit the road yet - that all changes today. And the pace of things will change tomorrow as well, as we start to get into the flow of "shows days" on the road. Rob and I will need to find our pace and get into the rhythm of the whole thing. From the easiest and most efficient ways to load and unload the car, to finding a way to have personal space and time when in such close quarters to one another for such a long time. I'm sure by Victoria we will a shorthand of some kind, where just a look will mean a great deal.

Well, shower time and off to the races... more later!

Ian

Day 0: The Journey Begins...

iantyson — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:00:41 GMT

Well, it finally started. After planning since January, we're underway.

Had a great (if odd) day at Bishop Reding in Milton, my standing booking for the first day of school. We had two fire alarms, one at the half way point of my show, but it all worked out. The kids have such a great energy at that school and I love going there. I mean, I literally picked up the show from the halfway point 3 hours later, and they didn't miss a beat.

After wards, it was off to the Toronto Airport and our flight to St. John's. So it's now pushing 1AM and it's time for sleep, lots of running around, gathering of supplies and acclamation in store. I'm going to get a video blog out tomorrow.

I am just so glad that we're finally here... it's time to get it rolling!!

Ian

The Day After Tomorrow...

iantyson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:36:01 GMT

Well... it's here! Since the inception of this idea back in January, it's been a lot of work, stress, planning and excitement... but starting tomorrow, I'm hitting the road. 29 schools in 29 days, and raising money for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, in a word - it's going to be epic.

So, tomorrow we hit the road to Milton, Ontario for a "first day of school" gig at Bishop Reding, a show I do every year. They are the defacto "first school" of the tour, because after the day, we head to the airport and fly out to St. John's when the journey truly begins on Wednesday. My brother in law/cameraman is finally here, we have all the equipment and are pretty much ready to roll. Today it's just about narrowing down what all I'm going to need for a month on the road and packing it, AND keeping it under 50 lbs per bag.

I know that this may truly be a life altering experience and I am so looking forward to it. Today will also be bittersweet in that I have to leave Leigh and my girls for a month, the longest stretch I've ever been gone for a speaking tour. It's going to be hard, but their support is what has always gotten me through in the past, I know it will again.

I thank all my sponsors: The University of Mary, Streaming Digital Media dot Com, Isagenix, and the many hotels that have comp'd my rooms for the whole journey (I'll thank them individually as we go). The tour t-shirts are now available for sale at www.iantyson.ca and 100% of the profits are going straight to the Reeve Foundation. My donation site through Team Reeve is also linked on my website, where I'm hoping to raise $1 for every one of the 8000 km's I'm driving.

OK - lots to do, mind is racing. Daily Blogs start tomorrow (Video Blogs as well)... stay tuned.

It's time to Go Forward!

Ian

Letting Go and Remembering Why...

iantyson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:18:12 GMT

Well, we're now less than 3 weeks out and the anticipation is killing me!! I have reached a tipping point with my mind and body that I know all to well, and which will make these next few weeks interesting. I often don't carry stress well, and it's been that way since I was a kid. It tends to manifest itself in physical ways, be they pimples as a teen (and even now), to stomach pains (which no longer happens), headaches, insomnia and on occasion the ever popular canker sores in the mouth - joy. Stress management is an important thing and has always been an uphill battle for me. I am genetically predisposed to heart conditions, so I try to relieve it as best I can, but occasionally I fall off the wagon.

I am feeling some illness coming on, and I start back to shows this coming week and my wife who knows me all too well, has pointed out that it is more than likely the stress about the tour I'm carrying. She can read me like a book and can see, if not hear, my mind racing. She is so great at relaxing me and reminding why I'm doing things, should my focus begin to stray. A few years back when I was doing a "coming home" type show at my high school alma mater I was a bundle of stress in the days leading up. But the stress was about the film crew I had hired to come out, and the set up of the auditorium and such, she saw that my focus had shifted and brought me right back to earth. "Remember why you're doing this" she said, "Not for a DVD, or the advancement of your career, make sure you do a good show for the kids in that audience, make sure you don't forget why you're there in the first place". Well, that snapped me back like a rubber band, and all I did was focus on the show and making sure I relayed the message I had in the best way possible for those students, and it was great. There were technical issues from the moment I showed up, and few more during the show, all I kept hearing in my head was... "Remember why you're doing this" and it all just rolled off my back.

In the case of the tour, there are a lot of variables that I am of course running in the ol' noggin; the documentary we're filming and how that may go, covering costs, yada yada yada. These are the things I should think about yes, but not let consume me. When we hit the road in a couple of weeks, my one and only focus needs to be the shows I'm doing and the money I'm trying to raise for the Reeve Foundation - that's all. The rest will take care of itself. I have two nights of hotels left to book on the tour and we will have donated rooms for the whole way, that's a good chunk of change heading to The Reeve Foundation, a good thing... and there are plenty more examples. I need to focus my attention and vent my stresses, so that the energy is where it needs to be. I feel a run coming on for this afternoon, and perhaps some yoga.

I'm not complaining at all, I'm very lucky to do what I do for a living. And in the these financial times I know that stress management is more important than ever, for everybody. We all need to let go of the small things that stress us out on a daily basis and remember why we do what we do. Focus our energies on the things that bring joy to our lives, our family, our friends, and whatever your calling is, the thing defines who you are. Remember that, remember why, and it all just starts to go away... let it go.

More to come... 19 days to go!

Ian

Even Motivators Need Motivating

iantyson — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:12:42 GMT

Well, we are just over a month out from the start of the tour, and a million things are running through my mind everyday. I'm going over things again and again making sure I am taking every eventuality into account. One of the things I know I'm going to need... music. I love music, of all kinds, and I am one of those type of people for whom music can have a profound effect. Anyone who has seen my shows knows that I use music as a mechanism for humor and to define moments. For those who listen to a lot of music, it's a backdrop and soundtrack to our lives. All of us have some experience attached to songs, and when you hear that certain song, the moment comes back to you, as though it just happened. For me at least, music can do something else; it can motivate.

Maybe it's an odd thing for someone who makes their living motivating others to need motivation, but we all need a kick in the pants sometimes. I have my down days as much as the next person, and I always try and pull myself out of it on my own, but sometimes you need help. I suppose I should clarify with my own definitions of a couple of things. For me, in the context of what I do for a living, I think that motivation is the ability to drive someone to action, Inspiration is something deeper, something that stirs within you and may alter the way you think about something. When I do shows, I hope to inspire and I strive to motivate. I think that given the right situation you can motivate a group and inspire an individual. If motivation is like a B12 shot, then inspiration is waking up after hibernation. So, especially when I'm on the road for a long haul, I need motivation to keep my spirits up and my eyes open.

Over the past several months, I have been constantly tinkering with an iPod mix I call my "Motivational Mix" which I plan to use when I need it on the Road Trip. It's a weird and eclectic mix; it has songs that I use from my show, songs that have motivational meaning or lyrics, and songs that just have the right kind of beat to keep my head bobbing along. For example: it has everything from "Stronger" by Kanye West, to "Hero's Welcome" from Disney's Hercules, from the "Superman Theme" song by John Williiams, to the mother of all motivational tunes - "Don't Stop Believin'"by Journey! There are songs from such wide ranging artists as Jay-Z, Linkin Park, Black Eyed Peas, Bruce Springsteen, U2, INXS, Moby, Phil Collins, Prince, Billy Joel, Interpol, Beastie Boys, Janet Jackson, Great Big Sea, Depeche Mode, MGMT, The Ting Tings and many, many more.

It's a little all over the place, but it serves it's purpose. Everytime I plug in my iPhone in the car and throw this mix on, it's transformative. I can just put it on shuffle and let it go. The time seems to pass quickly, I stay awake and feel energetic, it helps me stay positive and I laugh out loud at the random mixture of artists and genres. It's an essential tool for an undertaking like this, and it will help to frame the trip, though I'm not saying it's not unusual or unique. You see images all the time of atheletes and performers with the buds in their ears using music as a way to relax and prepare for the task ahead, again - for me, it's an essential tool. It's my motivaton. My question is... what would be on your playlist?

For my inpsiration on the other hand...there is of course my family, they inpsire me everyday. But really, I need to look no further than the namesakes of The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the people that work there, and the people they help. That is the stuff of inspiration, and that is something that I will carry with me every moment of this speaking tour. I am grateful for my ability to do this tour, and to make a living trying to both motivate and inspire others, the least I can do is to use this opportunity to raise some money to help those in need. They all inspire me with their strength of will and their spirit that makes them Go Forward everyday.

The countdown is on... talk to you soon.

Ian Tyson