More than a year ago, two friends with overweight issues decided to get back in shape. And by walking every day, they had the idea of raising awareness among children and adults about the problems associated with obesity. Next June, they will walk from Terrebonne to Quebec. Radio-Canada Sports met with them.
The two fat people walking, the title of their project. An adventure that began more than a year ago, as explained by Jean-Philippe Gravel, teacher at Collège Ahuntsic.
This story begins with two men who are in really bad condition. Worse who agreed to say: “Hey, are you walking, because our business is not going well?” From struggling to do all sorts of things, from obesity, to the anxiety that comes with it. I called Benoit and said to him: “Would you like to take a walk?”
His friend Benoit Ladouceur, municipal councilor in Terrebonne, was quick to accept the proposal.
A year ago before the birth of the project, each of us was on our side with somewhat similar facts: overweight, loss of interest in a certain number of things, difficulty in doing certain tasks . Then we decided to say it needed to be reversed. This is how the walking project began. The walk is simple, easy, accessible and free. And while walking, we could talk and the return to general health had full meaning at that time.
Jean-Philippe Gravel and Benoit Ladouceur weighed 500 and 300 pounds respectively. One day, they decided enough was enough and they needed to unite. It was during one of their daily walks that the idea of walking in Quebec was born.
” Benoit and I are always fat, we are always fat. And, at some point, you accumulate anxiety and you say to yourself, “Can I get out of here?” You also tell yourself that there are people the same way, who are stuck at home and saying to themselves: “Where am I going, what will happen?” So we got out of our couch! We lost almost 100 pounds each in 16 months and changed a lot of things. And there, mind you, we’re going to Quebec! “
The friends leave Terrebonne on the morning of June 1 and plan to go to the foot of Château Frontenac on June 11, in the afternoon.
Twenty-five kilometers (per day), well, consecutive days will be the real challenge, but we’ll break it down into four walking blocks of 6.25 kilometers per day.explained Benoit Ladouceur.
We have a Facebook page: “Two big guys who walk.” We didn’t change the wheel for the name again, we were looking for identification, we found it as easily as that name. People can go and walk with us.
Raising awareness of the population and especially young people on obesity -related problems has been their mission.
We walk to inspire other obese people, says Jean-Philippe Gravel. I’m fat and there’s no shame in being fat, there’s no shame in being fat, that’s how we are. There seems to be a taboo. The other time, I was like, “I have a Two Big Ones project that works.” I was immediately told: “Jean-Philippe, don’t say that!” I said to him: “Why not?” The man replied: “But you are not fat.” I said to him: “Come, open your eyes!” Yes, we’re grown -ups, but that doesn’t stop us from asking all that.
A philosophy spontaneously advocated by Benoit Ladouceur.
Over the months, we lined up for miles, slowly but surely. And it can be done, it is completely doable and, moreover, that is the kind of message of Deux gros qui marchent: it is that regardless of the reality where you live, act, start a global approach to health, physical Whether or mental health, this is possible through small steps.
” Walking is general and can affect teenagers, young adults, the elderly. I think, by walking, we can bring all generations together. What is more is a state of well -being. Since March 2020, people are looking for meaning, activities, it has become difficult and allows us to move forward. It started as a desire and became what I call a way of life. “
The two friends invite everyone who wants to support their cause to join them and for those who are not yet convinced, Jean-Philippe Gravel has one last message: The good news is we are marching towards Quebec. So in theory, the wind should be behind us.
Source: Radio-Canada
