Promoting personal health and staying active, a runner and cyclist made Amherstburg a stop in his cross-Canada trek.
Trevor Redmond, also known as “The Fellow in Yellow,” was in town last week. Redmond told the River Town Times last Tuesday morning that this is not his first trip across Canada, having first done it almost 20 years ago.
His first journey was in 2006-07 and he had another lengthy trip in 2009 by bicycle. In 2011, he was part of the Rick Hansen 25th anniversary relay.
Dressed in yellow, Redmond and his yellow three-wheeled cart is adorned with a QR code with links to his website. He has raised money for cancer prevention and research but is happy to raise awareness of healthcare and the importance of staying active.
Having had older members of his family battle cancer, Redmond said he has seen what they go through.
“I felt I had better go out and do something about it,” he said. “Every step taken was a step towards a cure.”
Redmond’s life hasn’t been without his own health struggles. In 1986 at the age of 15, he was struck by a car and almost lost his leg. He uses that as another source of motivation for his cross-Canada trek promoting health and activity.
“If it wasn’t for people in 1985 paying their taxes, I don’t think I would have been able to have the 12 operations I had back then,” he said. “Health care matters. Health care matters to everyone.”
While hospitalized after being struck, he had a dream of running across Canada and made that a reality.
Regular exercise reduces the risk of disability and disease, he said.
“It isn’t just exercising the body, it’s exercising the body, mind and spirit,” he said. “We need to exercise those equally.”
Other funds he has raised over the years not only goes to cancer prevention or to fund his travels, but he has found other health initiatives to give back to. Redmond identified one of his favourites was to help a child with cancer go to camp through a donation.
Members of the public saw him running with his cart in Amherstburg, some massage therapists offering their services and others who wanted to give him a donation or to simply talk to him. He started in Halifax and will end in British Columbia.
“My objective isn’t to run across Canada, it’s to reach as many people as I can,” said Redmond.
People in this region “are just adorable,” Redmond added, noting many have come out of their homes to donate or just offer encouragement.
If the weather is rough, he will stop for the day otherwise he and his cart are making their way to the west coast.
For every $10 he raises, he dedicates a kilometre to the donor. His journey can be tracked through his Facebook and Instagram pages and more information on him and his cause can be found at www.thereandbackcanada.ca or www.thefellowinyellow.ca.
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By Ron Giofu
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