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Case Study

ROBERT HARDY Overcoming Obstacles

Collaboration is the key to success

Collaboration

From serendipitous introductions to 15+ years of seamless teamwork, we co-create campaigns that turn personal triumphs into powerful narratives—ready to amplify your story next.
Photography

Photography

Capturing raw emotion on marathon routes and stage premieres, our lenses and lenses bring Bob’s resilience to life through stunning visuals and synced videos that inspire action.
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Design Excellence

Crafting logos, posters, and banners that command attention—from The Fifth Day Suite premiere to Stop the Cancer Cycleevents—elevating your brand with bold, adaptive creativity.
 
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Building and maintaining dynamic sites like LaPlumeModerne2.com and bobhardythewalkerrunner.com, we ensure your message stays accessible, secure, and optimized for global impact.
 

Robert Hardy: Overcoming Obstacles

It’s been more than 15 years since I first met Robert Hardy in the lounge at the Georgian House Restaurant & Day Spa in Alexandria, Ontario. In 2008, Heinz Kaswurm, the restaurant’s owner, and I were discussing how to incorporate custom music into a promotional video for the website. Robert Hardy and Bill Riley, seated at a nearby table, overheard our conversation. Robert approached, introduced himself as Maestro Robert William “Bob” Hardy—a composer and musician living in Alexandria—and offered a perfect solution. The rest, as they say, is history.
Since that serendipitous introduction, Bob and I have collaborated on numerous projects through Evolving Media & Design and his initiative, La Plume Moderne, and later Participation Music Hall Theatre Production. For instance:
 
  • The premiere of the Fifth Day Suite in Toronto in 2010
  • The Synergy of Five
  • Stop the Cancer Cycle
  • The Terry Fox Run in Alexandria, Ontario
  • Participation Music Hall Theatre in Eastern Ontario
  • Walk for Life
  • Bob Hardy: The Walker Runner
  • Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Goals
Happy Feet Medical Foot Care presents Bob Hardy The Walker Runner., VOXX Socks. Poster design by Jeff Poissant, RGD of Evolving Media.

Poster design by Jeff Poissant, RGD

Photo of Robert Hardy by Jeff Poissant, RGD

In these endeavors, I’ve worn many hats: photographer capturing dynamic race moments; designer crafting eye-catching posters and roll-up banners; writer shaping compelling narratives; videographer producing promotional clips; web developer building engaging online presences; and strategist guiding overall campaigns. I’ve even represented La Plume Moderne and Evolving Media at trade shows, and performed live in concert—creating and executing synchronized slide presentations in real-time with the musicians.

A Client’s Perspective

Don’t just take my word for it—here’s what Bob has to say about our partnership:
Testimonial from Maestro Robert “Bob” Hardy
Written in 2018, I first met Jeff Poissant of Evolving Media in 2008 at the Georgian House Restaurant & Day Spa in Alexandria, Ontario. At the time, Jeff was seeking a composer and arranger to write and synchronize music for a simple promotional video he was creating for the restaurant. I introduced myself, and within a few weeks, the video was complete—with perfectly synced music. All parties were thrilled with the results. It was a seamless team effort.
 
Since then, we’ve collaborated on many charitable events, including the Terry Fox Run, Alzheimer’s awareness initiatives, M.S. fundraisers, and Glengarry Trails. Jeff’s primary role has been as the photographer, but his contributions also include designing posters, producing videos, and developing brand concepts like Stop the Cancer Cycle, Wobbly Walker Walk-a-thon, and more.
 
I commissioned Jeff and Evolving Media to design and maintain our website, LaPlumeModerne2.com, as well as create posters and promotional materials for The Fifth Day Suite. The suite premiered at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, performed by the Toronto Philharmonia and conducted by Kerry Stratton on May 10, 2010. Following the premiere, Jeff designed a new logo, promotional materials, and website for Synergy of Five—a groundbreaking theatrical work featuring five key players.
 
More recently, Jeff has created videos, images, and animated designs for our first multimedia productions: Participations’s Music Hall Theatre Productions and a Son et Lumière rendition of The Fifth Day Suite.
 
—Maestro Robert William “Bob” Hardy
Founder, La Plume Moderne
 
As of 2025, the adventure continues…

The Latest: “The Walker Runner” Speaking Engagements

Bob’s most recent project, The Walker Runner public speaking series titled “Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Goals,”weaves a powerful story of resilience. As a leukemia and bone marrow transplant survivor, Bob turned competitive cycling into a tool for recovery after his 2001 diagnosis. He founded the 120-km Terry Fox Bicycle Challenge that year, represented Canada at the 2003 and 2005 World Transplant Games, and completed six 354-km Rideau Lakes Cycle Tours alongside multiple Terry Fox Challenges. Hip replacements sidelined him in 2008 and 2009, but he returned with a 50-km version from 2010–2012. Then, in October 2012, surgeries and complications led to a complete loss of balance, forcing retirement from cycling. Undeterred, Bob adapted by racing with a walker—transforming limitation into a new competitive edge.
Leukemia and bone marrow transplant survivor Robert Hardy developed walker racing skills with a walker after a balance condition forced him into retirement from marathon cycling. When Hardy first turned to competitive cycling to get over his cancer and get on with life, he founded a 120-km Terry Fox Bicycle Challenge in 2001. Represented Canada in the 2003 and 2005 World Transplant Games, completed six 354-km Rideau Lakes Cycle Tours and six 120-km Terry Fox Challenges. Missed 2008 and 2009 because of hip replacement and came back with a new shorter 50-km Terry Fox Challenge for 2010–2012. Several surgeries and complications in October 2012 resulted in complete loss of balance. Because he has no balance, he has to use a walker and so he has chosen to race his walker.

—Mandy Frank, formerly HUGO Mobility, August 2013.
You’ll occasionally spot me on my bike, pausing along a marathon route to photograph Bob in action—or supporting his The Walker Runner engagements, where he shares lessons on building a healthy, fulfilling retirement. Throughout it all, the core message is clear: shatter the stigma of mobility aids and embrace adaptive achievement.For more on Maestro Robert William “Bob” Hardy, visit www.bobhardythewalkerrunner.com or his Facebook page.
 
Ready to Overcome Your Own Obstacles?
At Evolving Media & Design, we turn stories like Bob’s into impactful campaigns. Whether it’s a custom website, promotional video, or social media strategy, let’s collaborate to elevate your brand.
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A photo of Robert "Bob" Hardy playing the clarinet at a Participation Music Hall Theatre production. Photo by Jeff Poissant, RGD.

Syllabification from a Sycophant

What is Syllabification from a Sycophant? It is a silly, nonsensical mixture of ragtime, comedy and visual effects that will entertain audiences of all ages by Participation Music Hall Theatre Productions.

Pictured from left to right: Bill Riley, Katie Ditschun, Ian McIntosh, and Robert Hardy, performing with Participation Music Hall Theatre Productions. Photo by Jeff Poissant, RGD.

Pictured from left to right:
Bill Riley, Katie Ditschun, Ian McIntosh, and Robert Hardy.