A 500-kilometre charity bike ride for a rare genetic disorder begins Tuesday on Vancouver Island mostly because Mark Cuban, the multimillionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, likes to say what's on his mind.
Earlier this year, he made some critical comments about the head of officials from the National Basketball Association. His caustic outburst violated league rules and, in the largest individual fine in the history of the NBA, Mr. Cuban had to fork over the equivalent of $760,000.
He matched the penalty with donations to charities, including $190,000 for Victoria resident Simon Ibell for his efforts to raise awareness and funds for mucopolysaccharidoses, a genetic disorder.
"He's really making everything possible," said the 24-year old organizer behind the bike ride. "Mr. Cuban has brought attention to this cause. It's just unbelievable."
People with MPS are born without a critical enzyme, the loss of which affects their appearance, bodily functions and development. The disorder is so rare that Mr. Ibell, who has a mild form of MPS, has met only one other Canadian who shares it. Across Canada, fewer than 100 people have MPS.
In the highly competitive world of charity fundraising, it's not easy drawing the spotlight to a medical condition that affects only a few people.
Mr. Ibell, who has a degree in leisure-service administration from the University of Victoria, has problems with hearing, breathing and moving his joints. His growth was stunted -- he is 4 feet 8 inches.
His biggest passion is for sports, he said. By the age of 13, he realized he could no longer compete with children his own age. Unwilling to abandon the world of sports, he became active behind the bench.
He managed boys' basketball and rugby teams while he was at high school. At the University of Victoria, he was manager, statistician and administrative assistant of the university's basketball team.
The jobs were challenging but he did what had to be done. "I know my limitations," he said.
"I take it at my own pace. I just do not let anything stand in my way."
Despite his own physical limitations, Mr. Ibell said even he did not realize how devastating MPS could be until he recently attended a U.S. conference and heard about those with severe conditions.
"It was very emotional for me," he said.
And that's when he decided to let more people know about MPS.
The 11-day bike ride from Port Hardy to Victoria includes a basketball clinic on Saltspring Island with Dallas Mavericks point guard Steve Nash, a Canadian quickly gaining superstar status in the NBA.
Cyclists pedalling for dollars will also have a chance to ride with world champion mountain biker Roland Green and to meet Olympic gold medalist in the triathlon, Simon Whitfield.
Mr. Ibell would not release any details about the budget or financial goals for the charity running the bike ride, called Bike 4 MPS.
The Canadian MPS Society, an Ontario-based parent support group, will receive some of the money raised during the charity drive, he said. However, he will not make any decisions about where the rest of the money will go until after the bike ride, he added.
The ambitious fundraising event is a reflection of Mr. Ibell's incredible drive. He insists MPS is a disability, not a handicap that stops him from doing what he wants to do. "I've always believed there was someone worse off than me, and I just had to get on with my life."
The sports celebrities involved in the bike ride are friends from his days in high school and university sports. He met Mr. Cuban in Dallas through his friendship with Mr. Nash and eventually struck up an e-mail correspondence.
In early January, Mr. Ibell wrote to Mr. Cuban to tell him about his plans for the charity bike ride. The next day Mr. Cuban was fined and he decided to support Mr. Ibell's bike ride. He said he picked MPS because of Mr. Ibell.
"He is a great guy," Mr. Cuban explained. "Plus he always picks on me," he added jokingly. "So I figured that if I helped him out, he wouldn't punch me in the wrong place at the wrong time."