Dana Gallant was born in Toronto, Ontario and received his bachelor of science degree, majoring in Psychology, at Halifax's Saint Mary's University.
Before entering university, Gallant was enrolled in the pilot-training program in the Canadian Armed Forces, becoming the military's youngest pilot at the age of 17. His course load included officer training as a lieutenant, extensive instruction in both land and sea survival, as well as flight school in both propeller and jet planes.
Interestingly, during this time, Dana was one of Canada's fastest sprinters, posting Canada's fastest time in 1976 at 10.2 seconds for 100 meters - a time still considered world class.
Starting in 1990 with Freewheeling Adventures, Dana began working as a bike tour guide. He started Pedal & Sea Adventures in 1995, and it has grown from a modest, one-man operation to an international conglomerate! Not really, but it has been growing exponentially for the past few years. In the past four years alone, Marilou and Dana have made more than a dozen trips to Italy, and have spent months in Ireland and Australia— all in a day's work for these dedicated professionals.
During the off-season his travels have brought him to London, Amsterdam, Venice, Florence, Bangkok, Singapore, Sydney, Perth, and Jerusalem— to mention a few. In '94, he and Marilou toured California, New Zealand, and Australia on bike— a trip covering eight months and 8,000 kilometers. Italy has also become a favourite cycling destination. He's been there three times over the last two years, clocking in another few thousand clicks.
Nova Scotia, though, still enchants him. Gallant started Pedal & Sea Adventures in 1999 to share his love for one of the world's best places. He has cycled around the province more times than he can remember. He believes that the quaint fishing villages, friendly people, and quiet roads along the coast are second-to-none. He has been often quoted as saying if the weather was biking weather twelve months a year there would be no reason to go anywhere else
