In 2019 60-year-old Eddie Meechen was diagnosed with MSA (multiple system atrophy), a progressive and terminal neurological disease. Within two years the "witty and charming" former stevedore, rugby lover and father of three couldn't climb the stairs unaided. Short documentary Fast Eddie is the story of one of his final adventures. Accompanied by daughter (and director) Keely Meechen, his wife and extended family, Eddie tackles the 55 kilometre Lake Dunstan cycle trail on a specially modified tricycle. As the family prepare Eddie and themselves for the event, they honour his life and remember the good times.
I know it's going to happen. I try not to think about it too much. I've thought about it a bit more lately. You feel the changes in your body. It's going to fail.– Eddie Meechen on his diagnosis, The NZ Herald, 22 October 2022
Made with funding from NZ On Air, alongside the NZ Film Commission and Te Māngai Pāho
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