Svein Tuft: Tour de France stage winner, wearer of the pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia, world championships medallist, Olympian, and one of Canada’s most decorated cyclists.

But that’s only half the story.

Before turning pro, Svein lived an epic adventure in the great wildernesses of the Pacific Northwest. It was a life of death-defying mountain expeditions, boxcar-riding escapades and close encounters with wild animals. For much of it, he was accompanied by his beloved dog, Bear.

One of sport’s great untold stories, this is the tale of how a singular athlete was forged by his remarkable journey, and how he got to the top without forgetting to admire the view along the way.

“Meeting this guy changed my life forever” - Christian Meier