Three years and several health complications later, longboarder Brandon Harrison still hopes to complete his 7,000 kilometer journey across Canada.

The cancer and stroke survivor started his charity trek on longboard — basically a longer version of a skateboard — in 2013.

"At the time, longboarding was my passion. It was what I did every day to keep me grounded and sane and away from the fact that I might die at any second without warning," he said.

Doing a cross-country trek seemed like a natural fit, he said.

Here is Brandon Harrison and his dad, Michael Floyd, in Regina in 2013, shortly before Harrison suffered another stroke and had to cut his trek short. (Ryan Pilon/CBC)

Accompanied by his dad Michael, the Calgary-based duo dipped their boards in Atlantic Ocean in St. John's, Newfoundland on May 14, 2013.

After 115 days, and more than 5000 kilometers, they made it to Lake Louise, Alberta.

Then, days before his 20th birthday, Harrison suffered a stroke that paralyzed the left half of his body.

"That derailed everything. The entire trek was put on hold. My life became completely enveloped with doctors appointments, therapy sessions, just more craziness," he said.

Cancer and stroke survivor

Brandon Harrison has seen a fair share of hospitals during his young life.

Brandon Harrison was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was two-years-old, and given a 25 per cent chance of surviving. (Brandon Harrison/GoFundMe)

When he was two-years-old, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, and doctors found a tennis-ball-sized tumour on his spine. They gave Harrison a 25 per cent chance of surviving.

After extensive surgery and recovery, he was given a cancer-free diagnosis at age five.

But when he was 15, Harrison suffered a stroke, losing part of his vision. Two years later, at 17, he had another stroke.

"I honestly didn't think I'd live to see my 20th birthday."

Finishing the last leg

But Harrison did, and the 23-year-old is determined to finish what he started three years ago.

Just before his 20th birthday, while part-way through his trek across Canada, Brandon Harrison suffered another stroke that paralyzed the entire left side of his body. (Brandon Harrison/GoFundMe)

He started from Calgary on August 2, using a combination of biking and longboarding to get to Vancouver while a chronic shoulder dislocation has forced him to wear a brace.

He has though, installed a special brake on his board for safety and even added extra laps around Stanley Park to catch up on some missed kilometers before he gets to Vancouver Island to finally dip his board into the Pacific Ocean.

His health is also on the mend, as Harrison is currently undergoing radiation to get rid of an arteriovenous malformation, which has been the cause of his strokes.

Harrison is asking anyone who is interested in his trek to donate directly to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

"The people in this country are amazing from coast to coast," he said. "I'm so blessed to come from such an amazing country."

With files from The Early Edition

To hear the segment, click on the link labelled Brandon Harrison longboards across Canada