He traveled around Poland on a bike to raise money for the rehabilitation of his grandson Olinek. Jan Baranik covered over three thousand kilometers on a bike in a month. After over 30 days of exhausting travel, he reached Ustroń on Sunday. In a conversation with a TVN24 reporter, he admitted that after the challenge was over, there were tears of emotion.
63-year-old Jan Baranik, Olinka's grandfather, set off from Ustroń on July 17. He covered about one hundred kilometers a day, returning to Ustroń on Sunday, after a month of travel.
It's yet another stunt the grandfather is using to publicize his fundraising efforts for his grandson's expensive daily rehabilitation, medication, and a new wheelchair. Last year, a man walked half a thousand kilometers in the Beskids.
His grandson struggles with cerebral palsy, a congenital urinary tract defect, Asperger syndrome, ADHD, sensory integration disorders and psychomotor delay.
READ MORE: He set off to Poland again to raise money for Olink's rehabilitation. “Distance doesn't scare me”
Grandpa Olinka: there were tears of emotion
On Sunday, TVN24 reporter Małgorzata Marczok talked to Olinka's grandfather.
– Were there tears of emotion? – she asked. – Well, there were, because it was a very long period, and we spent a lot of time together (with our grandson – ed.), we missed each other (- ed.) – he admitted.
Baranik also spoke about what helped him through the hardships of the multi-day expedition. “I always had one thought, that I had to reach a specific destination the next day. Because thinking about how much I had left, how much I had done, what the difficulties were, could discourage me. Because the expedition is difficult, long, and there are various obstacles along the way. So above all, the thought of Olek and reaching the next destination the next day,” he pointed out.
The grandfather of the sick Olinka traveled around PolandTVN24
He said he was also very happy that the online fundraiser account was still growing, which would cover the rehabilitation of his grandson. Baranik said that now he and Olinek have a few days of relaxation ahead of them, but added that he would like to take him to the mountains soon.
Main image source: TVN24