A New Brunswick man hopes to become the first person with schizophrenia to bicycle across Canada.
Matthew Dickson began in Vancouver back in June and hopes to arrive in Newfoundland by late August.
“It’s been a pretty good trip. I missed out on the two months of rain here in New Brunswick,” Dickson said during a stop in Saint John on Thursday evening.
“I’ve avoided floods, I’ve avoided smokes and fires, I’ve avoided tornadoes, I’ve avoided mosquitoes as well.”
Dickson, 51, was diagnosed with schizophrenia nearly three decades ago at the age of 22.
Two years earlier, before his diagnosis, he cycled across the country as part of Tour du Canada.
“It took me 30 years to recover from schizophrenia and I’ve been chomping at the bit to do that trip again,” said Dickson.
Dickson is raising money for schizophrenia societies across Canada and for the Mind Aid non-profits to help people with mental illness in developing countries.
He also launched an online fundraiser through GoFundMe to help pay for his trip expenses, such as food, camping fees, and ferry fees.
Matthew Dickson with a group of supporters in Saint John on Aug. 17, 2023. Image: Brad Perry
While Dickson’s goal is to give hope to people suffering from schizophrenia, his journey has also provided him with a confidence boost.
“For 30 years, I was afraid to utter the word [schizophrenia] in public out loud. I had to whisper it, literally whisper it, even like a year ago,” he said.
“It’s been a real growth period. I’ve grown a lot in just my confidence and talking about this out loud.”
Schizophrenia, like other mental health disorders, has faced a lot of stigma over the years.
But Dickson said he has noticed a big change as more people began to talk about it more openly.
“People haven’t said to me, ‘Oh my gosh, schizophrenia, get away from me.’ It’s more like, ‘Tell me more about it,'” he said.
Dickson will visit Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia over the coming days before cycling across Newfoundland.
As for what comes next, the mental health advocate has not ruled out another trip across Canada in the future.
“I’m loving this momentum of talking about schizophrenia out loud in public and I want to run more with that.”
You can learn more about Dickson’s trip and find out how to donate by clicking here.
Matthew Dickson of Saint Andrews is hoping to become the first person with schizophrenia to bicycle across Canada.
He’s nearing the end of his journey and was in Saint John this week. pic.twitter.com/u4TzzH7fAb
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) August 18, 2023
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