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847: John Nikas set out in an old Austin Healey to cheer up thousands of kids with cancer.

847: John Nikas set out in an old Austin Healey to cheer up thousands of kids with cancer.

FromCars Yeah


847: John Nikas set out in an old Austin Healey to cheer up thousands of kids with cancer.

FromCars Yeah

ratings:
Length:
36 minutes
Released:
Aug 30, 2017
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

What initially started out as an attempt to cheer up a sick friend ended up inspiring thousands around the world when John Nikas and a 1953 Austin-Healey 100 – known as Grace – covered more than 300,000 miles visiting children and adults afflicted with cancer. Beset by daily mechanical difficulties and traveling through heat, hail, rain and snow, Grace became a rolling metaphor for people struggling with the terrible disease. Rusting badly by the hour, sagging on tired springs, and covering almost a 1000-miles per day, Grace and John spread their message of hope and resilience across the country, refusing to give in to the daily obstacles that appeared in their path. As John once explained, “sometimes we don’t have the luxury of going forward when things are great; sometimes we have to sally forth when things are falling apart – physically, emotionally or financially. The key is to press on regardless – even when the night is dark, the wind is cold, and the oil pressure is falling into the single digits.” The journey received worldwide press coverage, including national and local television features and profiles in the Extra, New York Times and USA Today. Today, Grace appears at museums across the country, while other Drive Away Cancer cars have assumed the mantle of visiting children to bring some light – and oil leaks – into their lives.
Released:
Aug 30, 2017
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

CarsYeah podcast is a show hosted by Mark Greene. Mark is an incurable automotive enthusiast interviewing successful automotive entrepreneurs who live a lifestyle around their passion for automobiles, motorcycles, trucks and more. Let Mark take you on their journey, get under the hood, and provide some entrepreneurial inspiration. The show includes successes and failures, their incredible journey, plus the Last Lap where guests answer in quick blip-of-the-throttle answers. At the end there's a difficult Checkered Flag question. So sit down, buckle up and enjoy the ride!