They come through Canada to the race

Photo courtesy
Jean-Christophe Renaud (left) and his second running partner Michaël Houle in front of the statue of Terry Fox in Thunder Bay, near the place where he had to stop his run across the country in August of 1980 due to his cancer. Christopher (absent from photo) was abandoned after two months.

Magalie Lapointe

Saturday, 16 December 2017 20:19

UPDATE
Saturday, 16 December 2017 20:19

Look at this article

WATERLOO | Three Quebecers inspired by Terry Fox have passed on and have crossed Canada in the race to raise awareness for healthy living.

Jean-Christophe Renaud, 27 years old, alone ran more than the half of the distance from Newfoundland to Vancouver. In seven months, he crossed 4015 kilometres of the race.

His teammates Michaël Houle, 1250 km, and Christopher Won, 1450 miles, the have helped.

When Mr. Renaud made his last stride, on October 20, he felt a sense of well-being, but was especially very happy to find her family waiting for her.

Mr. Renaud has wanted to convince the more young people can do physical activity in the current through the Canada. He can say : mission accomplished.

He has met many students. A bit like Terry Fox in the 1980s or in the movie Forrest Gump, hundreds of people followed a few moments in the race.

Even that, at its crossing at Quebec, 200 students have followed, as well as 20 parents. The bus followed the group of riders to ensure the rest of the young people in the 35-kilometres travelled.

“It was crazy and at the same time so inspiring to see them all run for the cause “, said Jean-Christophe Renaud.

Among this group of students, he recalls, particularly of a child of sixth year, after having raced with Mr. Renaud, came back the day after tomorrow, to raise funds for the crossing of the rider and has forced his family to put on their sneakers and go for a run.

“Sometimes, we just don’t realize they can influence youth, too quickly. It is related “, has launched the runner.

Only

This adventure had to live with two runners and a friend who was driving a motor home. But two months after the start of the race, Christopher Earned has to be abandoned. It is, therefore, Michaël Houle who has continued to run with Mr. Renaud.

The latter is often felt very alone. Especially during the crossing in northern Ontario. They could be two or three days without seeing anyone. They ran in the middle of the forest.

“It was really beautiful, but we felt in the bottom of the world with all these woods, and roads without cars for more than two months,” described the man was 27 years old.

Photo courtesy

Jean-Christophe Renaud and Michael Swell the day after their crossing of Canada at Stanley park in British Columbia.

Animals

Moreover, it is in these forests that he had met with a bear and a wolf.

“I was really scared. I didn’t know how to react. With the wolf, I began my race and we came face-to-face. We looked at each other for a long time. I was very stressed, I was afraid that he would leave to find his pack, ” said the rider.

In spite of all these vicissitudes, he dreams now of travelling the world to race. It is preparing a conference for the purpose of influencing the people to a healthy lifestyle.

They are washed into lakes

The three friends wanted to get through Canada to the race, but they also had to keep a very tight budget.

To save, the riders have rented a hotel room only 5 times in seven months. They are washed into the lakes and have slept in parking lots of Tim Hortons and Walmart.

Vegetarian

To feed, Jean-Christophe and Michaël, who are vegetarians, opted very often for salads, pasta and legumes. They did not eat never a lot, but could eat several times a day.

“We had a refrigerator, but when we were walking through the woods, there was not always grocery. It is sometimes fed potato chips before you find a grocery store. We could do “, he launched.

Michael is a good cook and Jean-Christophe claims to have learned on vegetarian cooking.

Moreover, Mr. Renaud has not lost any book during his trip.

Approximately $ 20,000 will have been necessary to realize this dream and $ 8000 will be awarded to young people who have projects to promote healthy life habits.

By the numbers

Pairs of running shoes used : 5

Litres of water consumed per day : 5

Calories lost per day : between 3000 and 4000

Calories eaten per day : the same number of calories lost, between 3000 and 4000

Time in each province

Terre-Neuve : 1 months

Nova Scotia : 1 week

New Brunswick : 2 weeks

Quebec : 1 months

Ontario : 2 months

Manitoba and Saskatchewan : 1 months

Alberta : 2 weeks

British Columbia : 1 months