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Land of Waterfalls Getaway contest finalist Ron Cleroux

Help the Halifax rider in his quest to win the grand-prize package

Ron Cleroux

After weeks of taking entries, five finalists in the Land of Waterfalls Getaway contest have been chosen. Now it’s up to you to pick the grand prize winner, the person who will ride the roads and trails of Transylvania County, N.C., on a new Specialized bike. To vote for a finalist, scroll down, check the box and hit Submit. The deadline for voting is March 17.

Help send Ron Cleroux to the Land of Waterfalls in North Carolina!

RELATED Spring cycling getaway in North Carolina’s Transylvania County

Finalist

Ron Cleroux
Halifax

Ron’s entry

Ron Cleroux

I would love to bike in North Carolina, the Appalachians and experience the beautiful scenery, and the waterfalls.

My name is Ron Cleroux, and I am a Canadian Navy veteran of 15-plus years of service. I recently have taken up biking, somewhat seriously, for rehab. My road to recovery has involved a lot of cycling. I was injured while in the Forces. Not a visible injury but a hidden injury. I have PTSD and use exercise to rehabilitate. Through a program, Soldier On, I discovered my love of biking, which began in 2016 while training for the Invictus Games, which were held last year in Orlando, Fla., at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center. I was given a bike and bought myself a trainer for the winter months and put in a decent amount of training for the Games, but my love of biking hasn’t stopped. After the Invictus Games, I found myself taking ventures, going for hours on end, putting in impressive numbers. I get lost in the moment and feel so relaxed.

I haven’t really had the chance to ride with anyone else. But I would love a guided tour. I would love to learn the history of Transylvania, N.C. Here in Nova Scotia, we have wonderful gravel trails, which are part of the Rails to Trails. I use those quite frequently. I would love to experience the trails in Transylvania.

I’ve signed myself up for the 160-km gran fondo here in Nova Scotia. I did the Cancer ride here because it helps the local community, but I am always interested in expanding my riding now that I’ve caught the bug. I want to tour as much as possible. It would be a great start to my list, if I could add North Carolina to it.