"Cascades has been involved with the Charles-Bruneau Foundation for 20 years. At first, I only participated in fundraising activities. Then my boss at the time said to me, ‘You should come; you've never experienced anything like this before!’ When I told him that I didn't ride a bike and didn't have one, he said, 'You'll be able to do it!‘—he knew I worked out regularly—'and don't worry about the bike, I'll lend you one!’" With no more excuses, Normand signed up and... fell in love with it!
The children paired with cyclists in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau: an endless source of inspiration!
"Meeting children with cancer or in remission and their families along the way, during breaks and meals... it's so touching! And the finish line, with everyone there, the drums... The atmosphere is incredible! It's truly an emotional moment every time!“ Normand recalls, with emotion, a young girl his team was paired with, Marilou: ”I saw her for several years at the Tour; I was always happy to see her again. Now she's cured and in her twenties!"
Normand and Marilou in 2018.
For this father, thinking about children battling cancer, especially those close to his heart [all Tour cyclists receive a badge bearing the image of the Hero or Heroine of their route and their paired child], motivates him to keep going when his legs get heavy: “When I've had enough, I think about the pins I'm wearing, about the children who are going through much more difficult things, and that helps me push a little harder, to find the energy I need to keep pedaling for them.”
A commitment to the Charles-Bruneau Foundation that has grown over the years at Cascades.
“When I first participated in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau, there were about 20 of us. Now there are over 100!” says Normand, who adds that he greatly appreciates the human experience of the Tour: “It allows you to get to know people from a different angle; it helps to create bonds between colleagues, but also with other cyclists, whom we enjoy seeing again year after year.”
If the number of registrations continues to increase, it is probably due to ambassadors like Normand, but also because Cascades regularly talks about the Charles-Bruneau Foundation and the Tour: “Cascades has really embraced the mission of the Charles-Bruneau Foundation, and this is evident in our meetings, where we talk about why we are involved, and in actions such as the sale of toilet paper and paper towels to raise funds for the Tour.”
A sporting challenge to give hope to young people with cancer and their families.
Normand has participated in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau for all these years first and foremost for the cause: "Actually, I don't particularly like cycling! I do it to support this cause, which is very close to my heart. Ultimately, that's why we're all here: to give hope to children and their families. Together, we're taking another step toward a cancer-free childhood."
To cheer on Normand and the Cascades team: https://www.tourccb.ca/equipe-participante/1702-Cascades
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Each route of the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau has its own hero or heroine, and each cyclist is paired with a child who has cancer or is in remission.
