Land of Waterfalls Getaway contest finalist James Callahan

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.

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RELATED Spring cycling getaway in North Carolina’s Transylvania County

Finalist

James Callahan
Toronto

James’ entry

I met Stephanie in the spring of 2011 as I was preparing to cycle across Canada during the coming summer. She was busy playing women’s rugby and never gave cycling a second thought. I, on the other hand, was infatuated with the beautiful sport and have been a cyclist since childhood, riding mountain bikes, BMXs and single-speed commuters. Around 2011, I had borrowed a 1970s cycling repair book from the library in preparation for my tour. Its last chapter is called “Cycling with Love.” It was a hilariously awkward chapter dedicated to the art of encouraging your partner to become a cyclist and I consumed it voraciously.

After completing Tour du Canada, I returned home to find that a concussion sidelined my future girlfriend from the field. Stephanie, a budding physiotherapist, quickly fell in love with cycling as a way to challenge herself, maintain fitness and be competitive. We visited the bike show and bought her very first road bike in the short days of March, dreaming of the warm summer rides to follow.

In 2016, Stephanie is a full-fledged cyclist, constantly giving my legs a run for their money. On Canada Day, during a century ride in Lennox and Addington County, I proposed to Stephanie anticipating sharing a life of cycling together. We were graciously allowed to borrow a beautiful vintage tandem bicycle from Mariposa for our engagement pictures, the perfect metaphor for our upcoming adventure.

Cycling in North Carolina after our wedding this coming April would be like a dream sequence for my future wife and me. Touring the Land of the Waterfalls by bike and feeling the contours of the American landscape would be a vigorous, sweaty retreat for our honeymoon. We would relish the hills and love to replenish ourselves with some of the local brew and brewery tours. We undoubtedly share all of our logged kilometres on Strava, to share with our cycling kindred spirits. We would love to start our marriage pedalling along the Blue Ridge Highway in matching cadence.