See the people not the condition.
All too often people see autism as just a condition – and don’t see the people who have autism as just that, people. We want to change that. In connection with the fundraiser Cycle Pan-America, Adventure for Autism is going to host stories submitted by people who’s families are affected by autism. If someone you love is affected by autism (or you have autism... Read More
Cycle Pan-America
Cycle Pan-America picks up where Adventure for Autism left off. Cycle Pan-America is the official fundraiser that was formerly known as the World Record Return Trip. Cycle Pan-America is a 14,000 mile journey from the Southern tip of Argentina to Alaska. The current World Record for this journey is 125 days – Adam Biel will cycle it in 100. Cycle Pan-America has set the goal... Read More
Join Our Team – Travel the World
Join Our Team We at AfA are looking for three adventurous people to join our World Record Support Team! Members of the team will be part of the most incredible journey in recent history. The team will travel through 14 countries and 14 climate zones in 100 days as well as see some of the most beautiful natural areas in the Western Hemisphere. The team is an integral part of... Read More
Jairo
Meet Jairo: 22 years old, born and raised in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Speaks Spanish. Regular attendee at “Los Pipitos”, a school for children/adults with developmental conditions. Has high-functioning autism bordering on Asperger’s. Enjoys life fully. Loves naps and running errands. Makes piñatas. Jairo is the individual I was fortunate enough to... Read More
The Blade
I wasn’t sure if I should enter the faded blue building off the main street or not. Something about the blue put me at ease, called to me, while stirring an emotion to turn and walk away at the same time. I entered, responding to the calling, which outweighed the desire to leave. It took only moments from when I entered the small doorway on this side street ‘til the time... Read More
What I’m doing now
Hey everyone, For those of you who don’t know what I’m doing on the road right now I’ll explain it briefly for you. Right now I’m sitting on a beach on Isla Ometepe in Nicaragua (It’s my weekend). I’m back on the road with two goals in mind: 1. Preview the 2012 return route through Latin America, with the exception of Colombia. 2. Film the story... Read More
Hope in El Salvador
I recently went on a tour of the new Asociación Salvadoreña de Autismo building (the Salvadoran Autism Association). It was a stark contrast to the interview I’d filmed the previous day hours away in a poor village of the Rio Lempa. The Asociación Salvadoreña de Autismo (ASA) is a very young organization and has not yet opened their new facility completely. It is a Salvadoran... Read More
History of Violence
In order to understand what it is like to seek out interviews with families affected by autism here in El Salvador an understanding of El Salvador’s politics is needed. El Salvador is one of the Central American countries with a brutal horrific past. Between 1979 and 1992 over 75,000 people were killed during their civil war. Entire colleges of Jesuits were killed during the... Read More
The journey begins… again!
It was late. I crawled beneath my chocolate Egyptian cotton duvet, the frost licking at the window, threatening to invade the warmth of my room. The sounds of bubbling water filled the room with a relaxed gurgle as the light of floating tea-lights danced over the water cascading down the fountain I use as a humidifier. The mirrors in my room showed the memories of past journeys... Read More
Preparations
Adam's gear for the 3rd leg of AfAI booked my flight to El Salvador yesterday. I leave Edmonton on March 16 and arrive in San Salvador, El Salvador at 7:30 on the 17th. The adventure officially continues on the 16th! A new friend, someone I met last week at a coffee shop, asked me, “How do you prepare for an adventure like yours?” I think it’s pretty simply to prepare for... Read More
