The record is already behind us, but that’s why we started the conversation with Jimmy Pelletier. What was it like breaking the World Record for the longest distance in handbikethe bicycle that you pedal with your hands? Sitting in his wheelchair in a room at the Lisbon Youth Center, the Canadian guarantees that it will be to surpass the 8557 kilometers of the record or to complete the 40 thousand of the Tour of the World that brought him to Lisbonthe secret is “when you take on a challenge like this, a big challenge, you have to take it step by step. You know, in life, every little moment takes us further. Because if we look at the end goal, it can be discouraging.”
Jimmy knows what he’s talking about. Passionate about sport since childhood, the life of this Quebecer, born in Baie-Comeau in 1976, he suffered a dramatic turnaround at the age of 19 when a car accident left him paraplegic. But he didn’t let himself get discouraged and after an intense recovery he fulfilled his dream of becoming a Paralympic athlete, having participated in the Paralympic Games in Turin, in 2006, in adapted cross-country skiinghaving also been part of the Canadian handbike team. It is this same determination that now places in this Tour of the World that started to raise funds for the Adaptavie association, which supports people with physical, intellectual limitations or on the autism spectrum.
“During a big challenge like this, there are a lot of trials. There are obstacles. It’s about how you deal with those obstacles”, says Jimmy, who took advantage of the Passing through Lisbon to participate in a round table “Cycling for Inclusion”in a partnership with Intercultura – AFS, a Youth Volunteer Association, of the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth, with the support of the Canadian Embassy.
Jimmy gives a concrete example of the obstacles that can arise. On this trip, he had a problem with his bike and had to get a part. “We had to have the part made, go to a welder to weld it back onto my bike. This took us, first, to leave our comfort zone and, second, to adapt to the present moment when it happened”, he explains. And he adds: “So, we found the solution to the problem. So, we were able to move forward, continue on our path. And that’s what’s beautiful about facing a great challenge: there’s a story behind it. This story, we write it day after day.”
Jimmy’s bicycle remained outside, in the courtyard, proudly displaying the flag of Canada, Quebec and the country where he is located, in this case, Portugal. The athlete and activist remembers those moments in 1996, after the accident and how “it was difficult, but I rebuilt my life in a wheelchair”.
But more than that, Jimmy then realized that “you’re in a wheelchair, you’re an example of perseverance, determination and everything else. So I thought, why not give back to others?” That’s when things started to move forward: “I took on a challenge, raised some money. And a lot of people told me, ‘Jimmy, you should keep going’. So, a few years later, I implemented the Jimmy Pelletier Walk to raise funds for organizations. And that’s where I am today.”
In between, the Canadian fulfilled other dreams. In 2018, I climbed Kilimanjaro on an adapted mountain bike and the following year he crossed Canada in handbikecovering 7200 kilometers in 65 days.
It was at the end of this challenge that Jimmy realized he wanted more. “I had about 100 meters to go and then I said to my girlfriend, ‘I think I’ll keep going and then I’ll go around the world.’ I really felt invincible, like a machine.”
So it was. Jimmy mobilized his team to organize this World Tour. For this he had the support of Manon Bélanger. Jimmy’s companion was following the conversation. After all, it is an integral part of this challenge of 27 countries, 40 thousand kilometers, five continents, in 24 months, cycling the same route that Jimmy takes on handbike.