Local Set to Race in the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie

On the morning of June 16th, local Janick Tétreault-Moise will begin her 60-hour 1,000-km cycling trek. Departing from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, the race, an annual event known as the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie, will end in Montreal.

Racing alongside Équipe Vie en Forme team members Patrick Philie (Valleyfield), Pierre Carry, Gail Comeau (Groupe Tremblay) and Benjamin Charron (Toyota Valleyfield), Tétreault-Moise’s fundraising efforts will go to Franklin Elementary and Edgar-Hébert Elementary School.

In order to register, teams must be associated with at least one elementary school of their choosing, while encouraging the schools to register in the Energy Cubes challenge throughout the month of May, a program that promotes living a healthy lifestyle. Cycling for only two years, Tétreault-Moise opted to participate in an event at Montmagny last year, and was able to raise close to $5,000 for Franklin Elementary, which was part of the motivation behind her decision to participate in the Grand défi. Supporting Franklin Elementary School is very important for Tétreault-Moise, especially since her seven-year-old son is enrolled there.

“It is the first year that I will participate in the 1,000-km,’ explained an excited Tétreault-Moise. ‘It is really hard to have a spot...only 200 teams are selected, and 198 of them have a permanent spot. We had to submit our team and be selected by the selection committee.” Tétreault-Moise was encouraged by both friends and members of Québec en Forme, an association whose aim (according to their website) is “to promote healthy eating and physical activity among Quebec youth aged 0-17 years.”

Training at least six times a week (sometimes twice a day), Tétreault-Moise is hard at work preparing for the race. Her efforts, along with those of her teammates, are generously sponsored by several local businesses, including Groupe Tremblay, Toyota Valleyfield, Chassé Toyota, Vie en Forme and Jeunesse Rurale du Haut Saint Laurent, while Agence Zel (owned by Tétreault-Moise) is handling all of the design and promotion. The team is also working closely with trainer Matthieu Dallaire of La Cité des Arts et des Sports in Valleyfield, as well as with Ostéopathie Lac St-François in Saint Zotique. “It would not be possible without them,” added Tétreault-Moise.

As for the best part of participating in the race? “It is a big commitment, but the cause is amazing! Of course, to make the Franklin students move and have fun is my main motivation,” says Tétreault-Moise. Part of the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie will pass through Hemmingford, so locals are encouraged to come and cheer the Vie en Forme team on.

History of the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie

Following tradition, Pierre Lavoie will lead the group throughout the ride. Launching the first race in 1999, the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean resident spearheaded this project in order to raise awareness as well as fund research about lactic acidosis, the illness that claimed two of his children (his first year, he cycled alone over 650 km over 24 hours around the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area). In 2015 alone, the efforts of the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie resulted in a donation of close to three million dollars—all of which was used to support hereditary orphan disease research and promote a healthy lifestyle among young people (through the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie Foundation’s scholarships and grants and via the school sponsorship program).

To donate, visit www.vieenforme1000.com, visit Tétreault-Moise’s Facebook page, or visit Grand défi Pierre Lavoie’s page at www.legdpl.com.