Volunteering in Central America
Donation protected
I am a recent physiology graduate from CU Boulder and an individual pursuing a career as a physicians assistant, I have decided to take time off before graduate school to volunteer in South America while riding my motorcycle! In July of 2018 I will begin a trip across the Americas on my 2000 Honda XR650L dual-sport motorcycle. As I travel I will be volunteering in hospitals and local clinics along the way, helping where I am able to in parts of Central and South America.
Currently I am scheduled to volunteer in the local hospitals in Honduras, Guatemala and Peru later this year. I will be working with The Muskoka Foundation, dogoodasyougo.org and the Honduras Child Alliance to schedule and facilitate volunteer opportunities for me along the way! In Guatemala I will be teaching children the basics of nutrition and dieting and as I continue on to Honduras I will be helping local doctors and nurses with the overflowing clinics of the areas. Later in October, in Peru, I will be traveling with a team of doctors and nurses to bring care to some of the more isolated and remote areas around Lima, Peru!
This trip is something I have been adamantly planning and preparing for, for the last year and a half, and can't wait to begin! Unfortunately the finances for the trip have just recently changed in the last few weeks, leaving me without the funds to follow through on this goal of a lifetime. Any help that you're able to give will be greatly appreciated! Your donation will go towards keeping me fed and keeping the bike running, so that I can continue south, volunteering as I go!
Who am I? Background, education, experience.
Hi!
My name is Arthur Bremner, I am 26 years old and am preparing to ride my 2000 Honda XR650L dual-sport motorcycle around the world, beginning July of 2018. Certainly such an endeavor did not come about on a whim… Following a two month trip through Mexico and along the United States west coast in 2015, I returned to Colorado and moved to Boulder to finish my undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado, it was here that such plans began to matriculate.
As a transfer student I had yet to declare a major. I chose Integrative Physiology, aided by some vague notion of being involved in the medical field. My classes were difficult, but I was determined to succeed and earn my degree. While in school at the university, I couldn’t help but reminisce about the motorcycle adventure I had recently been on. Seeing first hand and being a part of different cultures opened my eyes to the struggles many people around the world face regularly, it also introduced me to the beauty of traveling by motorcycle.
With that notion a seed was planted and in January of 2016 I began to postulate a trip around the world. I called a few close friends, told them about my plans and also told my parents. Everyone was supportive and encouraged the trip; however, my mother took some time to warm up to the idea.
While being a full-time student studying Physiology, I began to gravitate towards the career of a physicians assistant. It was a career that gave me flexibility in my scheduling and work-load, provided good pay and above all else would be a fulfilling and dynamic career where I could make a difference in peoples lives. I knew that the career itself was very demanding and would require a masters degree, as well as my uninterrupted involvement in the medical field and patient care. I needed to get my feet wet and so I began volunteering in the emergency department at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, March of 2017. Exposure to the work-life of a PA and the environment of a hospital solidified my commitment in pursuing this career.
What is the goal or purpose?
With these two goals in mind, I began looking for ways to integrate the two. I did not want to give up the ground I had gained in the medical field by severing myself from it for two years, while on a trip around the world, and so the idea of volunteering while traveling came about. For me, it seemed like a great way to gain experience in and stay relevant to the medical field I had worked so hard to become a part of. So with that I began scouring the internet on resources for volunteering abroad. I had no desire to pay the premiums for the “voluntourism” opportunities so many medical prospects seek to decorate their resumes with, and so after much digging I came across The Muskoka Foundation. I reached out to them and expressed my intentions and goals for the trip and asked about volunteering opportunities while traveling. Their contacts were quick to put me in touch with the right people in parts of central and south America, where I would be able to volunteer and have since been regularly communicating with for the past year, scheduling volunteer work. Currently I am scheduled to volunteer in a few hospitals in Honduras and Guatemala around August and will be traveling with a team of doctors and nurses in parts of Peru to lend help later in October. I plan to continue volunteering in South Africa as the trip continues…
The Motorcycle: 2000 Honda XR650L
Of course none of this would be possible without a motorcycle to endure such a trip and so in February of 2017 I bought a 2000 Honda XR650L, the bike I had chosen to make the trip. Sadly the engine needed the top end rebuilt shortly after I bought it, and so I was prompted to entirely disassemble and restore the motorcycle, while adding numerous modifications to enhance the capabilities. In November of 2017 I wheeled the bike into my bedroom in my two room apartment. It was a tight fit, but it was the best I had to work with. I stripped the entire bike down to the frame, cleaning every nook and cranny. I entirely disassembled the bottom and top end of the engine in order to install new 2nd and 5th gears in the transmission as well as an increased bore and piston size and an increased compression ratio. I reassembled the engine, reassembled the bike in its entirety and on March 12th of this year was relieved to hear the bike start on the first try. Building a motorcycle in my bedroom while finishing my senior year of college proved to be quite a challenge that I was proud to have overcome. I graduated this past May and since the rebuild have put 2500 miles on the bike in the last two months.
Sponsorships
I have taken on several sponsors who have been kind enough to help support me with the gear I need for the trip. Mosko Moto has supplied me with a luggage system that will carry all of my gear on the bike and Big Agnes has supplied me with the camping gear and set up that I will sleep in on a regular basis. I plan on video blogging on Youtube, while having a written blog online and also keeping an Instagram to share the many photos and videos I will take!
Motorcycle Accident, January of 2017
Unfortunately in January of 2017, while riding my motorcycle, I was struck on the right side of my body and bike by an individual who had failed to make a stop at a marked sign. The bike was totaled and I was pretty banged up. I of course sought legal representation as I knew there would be numerous medical bills I would be in no position to pay.
The accident led to a knee surgery in May and nearly seven months of painful rehab through several local physicians. Unfortunately my knee has still not yet made a full recovery and I am skeptical if it ever will despite my best efforts to recover.
As my knee has been quite painful since the accident, I have had to rule out the possibility of being able to earn the money needed for the trip by working as a waiter. With the nature of the accident and the condition of my knee I was hopeful that I would receive some settlement from the other parties insurance, by the time I had graduated college and was ready to begin the trip.
Recently my lawyer and I submitted the demand for a settlement, including all of the medical bills, physical therapy appointments, damaged gear, loss of earnings, future damages and pain and suffering.
The other parties insurance adjuster came back with an offer that wouldn't even cover the medical bills, claiming that they were "inflated" and wouldn't budge on his price.
Unfortunately this was just not a fair offer and so my lawyer and I have decided to pursue a trial, knowing that the inevitable outcome will be in my favor.
This is such a bummer as now the prospect of a settlement won't be for at least a year and leaves me without the finances to follow through on my goal of volunteering around the world, so soon to my planned departure date.
What is your donation for? Where will it go and who will benefit?
That said, any help that you're able to give is greatly appreciated! I will be working with The Muskoka Foundation as well as dogoodasyougo.org and the Honduras Child Alliance. In Guatemala I will be teaching children the basics of nutrition and dieting, as I continue on to Honduras I will be working in the local clinics of hospitals, helping nurses and doctors with their over flowing waiting rooms and hopefully be of some help to them.
Your donation will go towards keeping me moving and fed! The bike is very capable but requires daily maintenance that I am more than comfortable taking care of! Parts do wear and require replacement, something that I have anticipated!
Apart from that it will give me the ability to continue on through the Americas, volunteering and doing good as I go! I will be blogging both on advrider.com as well as on my Youtube channel and hope to reach and inspire many other like minded individuals!
I would be so incredibly grateful for any amount of help given! I was fully expecting to take care of the finances of this trip, on my own, without asking for help and never intended on seeking any type of fundraising.
Any amount of money raised over the goal will go towards supplying the hospitals of Central and South America, that I visit, with the medical supplies that they so desperately need!
Thank you so much!
Arthur Bremner
Instagram: @havemotorcyclewilltravel
Youtube: Arthur Bremner
Dirt Bike Build Thread
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/arts-rtw-xr650l-build-thread.1277977/
Engine Rebuild Timelapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eux_-hWMMc&t=440s
Currently I am scheduled to volunteer in the local hospitals in Honduras, Guatemala and Peru later this year. I will be working with The Muskoka Foundation, dogoodasyougo.org and the Honduras Child Alliance to schedule and facilitate volunteer opportunities for me along the way! In Guatemala I will be teaching children the basics of nutrition and dieting and as I continue on to Honduras I will be helping local doctors and nurses with the overflowing clinics of the areas. Later in October, in Peru, I will be traveling with a team of doctors and nurses to bring care to some of the more isolated and remote areas around Lima, Peru!
This trip is something I have been adamantly planning and preparing for, for the last year and a half, and can't wait to begin! Unfortunately the finances for the trip have just recently changed in the last few weeks, leaving me without the funds to follow through on this goal of a lifetime. Any help that you're able to give will be greatly appreciated! Your donation will go towards keeping me fed and keeping the bike running, so that I can continue south, volunteering as I go!
Who am I? Background, education, experience.
Hi!
My name is Arthur Bremner, I am 26 years old and am preparing to ride my 2000 Honda XR650L dual-sport motorcycle around the world, beginning July of 2018. Certainly such an endeavor did not come about on a whim… Following a two month trip through Mexico and along the United States west coast in 2015, I returned to Colorado and moved to Boulder to finish my undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado, it was here that such plans began to matriculate.
As a transfer student I had yet to declare a major. I chose Integrative Physiology, aided by some vague notion of being involved in the medical field. My classes were difficult, but I was determined to succeed and earn my degree. While in school at the university, I couldn’t help but reminisce about the motorcycle adventure I had recently been on. Seeing first hand and being a part of different cultures opened my eyes to the struggles many people around the world face regularly, it also introduced me to the beauty of traveling by motorcycle.
With that notion a seed was planted and in January of 2016 I began to postulate a trip around the world. I called a few close friends, told them about my plans and also told my parents. Everyone was supportive and encouraged the trip; however, my mother took some time to warm up to the idea.
While being a full-time student studying Physiology, I began to gravitate towards the career of a physicians assistant. It was a career that gave me flexibility in my scheduling and work-load, provided good pay and above all else would be a fulfilling and dynamic career where I could make a difference in peoples lives. I knew that the career itself was very demanding and would require a masters degree, as well as my uninterrupted involvement in the medical field and patient care. I needed to get my feet wet and so I began volunteering in the emergency department at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, March of 2017. Exposure to the work-life of a PA and the environment of a hospital solidified my commitment in pursuing this career.
What is the goal or purpose?
With these two goals in mind, I began looking for ways to integrate the two. I did not want to give up the ground I had gained in the medical field by severing myself from it for two years, while on a trip around the world, and so the idea of volunteering while traveling came about. For me, it seemed like a great way to gain experience in and stay relevant to the medical field I had worked so hard to become a part of. So with that I began scouring the internet on resources for volunteering abroad. I had no desire to pay the premiums for the “voluntourism” opportunities so many medical prospects seek to decorate their resumes with, and so after much digging I came across The Muskoka Foundation. I reached out to them and expressed my intentions and goals for the trip and asked about volunteering opportunities while traveling. Their contacts were quick to put me in touch with the right people in parts of central and south America, where I would be able to volunteer and have since been regularly communicating with for the past year, scheduling volunteer work. Currently I am scheduled to volunteer in a few hospitals in Honduras and Guatemala around August and will be traveling with a team of doctors and nurses in parts of Peru to lend help later in October. I plan to continue volunteering in South Africa as the trip continues…
The Motorcycle: 2000 Honda XR650L
Of course none of this would be possible without a motorcycle to endure such a trip and so in February of 2017 I bought a 2000 Honda XR650L, the bike I had chosen to make the trip. Sadly the engine needed the top end rebuilt shortly after I bought it, and so I was prompted to entirely disassemble and restore the motorcycle, while adding numerous modifications to enhance the capabilities. In November of 2017 I wheeled the bike into my bedroom in my two room apartment. It was a tight fit, but it was the best I had to work with. I stripped the entire bike down to the frame, cleaning every nook and cranny. I entirely disassembled the bottom and top end of the engine in order to install new 2nd and 5th gears in the transmission as well as an increased bore and piston size and an increased compression ratio. I reassembled the engine, reassembled the bike in its entirety and on March 12th of this year was relieved to hear the bike start on the first try. Building a motorcycle in my bedroom while finishing my senior year of college proved to be quite a challenge that I was proud to have overcome. I graduated this past May and since the rebuild have put 2500 miles on the bike in the last two months.
Sponsorships
I have taken on several sponsors who have been kind enough to help support me with the gear I need for the trip. Mosko Moto has supplied me with a luggage system that will carry all of my gear on the bike and Big Agnes has supplied me with the camping gear and set up that I will sleep in on a regular basis. I plan on video blogging on Youtube, while having a written blog online and also keeping an Instagram to share the many photos and videos I will take!
Motorcycle Accident, January of 2017
Unfortunately in January of 2017, while riding my motorcycle, I was struck on the right side of my body and bike by an individual who had failed to make a stop at a marked sign. The bike was totaled and I was pretty banged up. I of course sought legal representation as I knew there would be numerous medical bills I would be in no position to pay.
The accident led to a knee surgery in May and nearly seven months of painful rehab through several local physicians. Unfortunately my knee has still not yet made a full recovery and I am skeptical if it ever will despite my best efforts to recover.
As my knee has been quite painful since the accident, I have had to rule out the possibility of being able to earn the money needed for the trip by working as a waiter. With the nature of the accident and the condition of my knee I was hopeful that I would receive some settlement from the other parties insurance, by the time I had graduated college and was ready to begin the trip.
Recently my lawyer and I submitted the demand for a settlement, including all of the medical bills, physical therapy appointments, damaged gear, loss of earnings, future damages and pain and suffering.
The other parties insurance adjuster came back with an offer that wouldn't even cover the medical bills, claiming that they were "inflated" and wouldn't budge on his price.
Unfortunately this was just not a fair offer and so my lawyer and I have decided to pursue a trial, knowing that the inevitable outcome will be in my favor.
This is such a bummer as now the prospect of a settlement won't be for at least a year and leaves me without the finances to follow through on my goal of volunteering around the world, so soon to my planned departure date.
What is your donation for? Where will it go and who will benefit?
That said, any help that you're able to give is greatly appreciated! I will be working with The Muskoka Foundation as well as dogoodasyougo.org and the Honduras Child Alliance. In Guatemala I will be teaching children the basics of nutrition and dieting, as I continue on to Honduras I will be working in the local clinics of hospitals, helping nurses and doctors with their over flowing waiting rooms and hopefully be of some help to them.
Your donation will go towards keeping me moving and fed! The bike is very capable but requires daily maintenance that I am more than comfortable taking care of! Parts do wear and require replacement, something that I have anticipated!
Apart from that it will give me the ability to continue on through the Americas, volunteering and doing good as I go! I will be blogging both on advrider.com as well as on my Youtube channel and hope to reach and inspire many other like minded individuals!
I would be so incredibly grateful for any amount of help given! I was fully expecting to take care of the finances of this trip, on my own, without asking for help and never intended on seeking any type of fundraising.
Any amount of money raised over the goal will go towards supplying the hospitals of Central and South America, that I visit, with the medical supplies that they so desperately need!
Thank you so much!
Arthur Bremner
Instagram: @havemotorcyclewilltravel
Youtube: Arthur Bremner
Dirt Bike Build Thread
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/arts-rtw-xr650l-build-thread.1277977/
Engine Rebuild Timelapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eux_-hWMMc&t=440s
Organizer
Arthur Bremner
Organizer
Boulder, CO