From Terrebonne to Quebec on foot to raise awareness of obesity problems | You have seen?

The two fat ones who walk, is 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 started with two guys who were really in bad shape. Worse who agreed to say: “Hey, are you walking, because our business is not going well?” From misery to do all kinds of things, from obesity, the distress that comes with it. I called out to Benoit and said to him: “Would you like to go for 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, we were each on our side with fairly similar realities: overweight, loss of interest in a certain number of things, difficulties in doing certain tasks. We then decided to say that this had to be reversed. This is how the project to walk began. Walking is simple, easy, accessible and free. And while walking, we can discuss and the return to overall health took on its 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 had to get their act together. It was during one of their daily walks that the idea of ​​walking to Quebec was born.

” Benoit and I have always been fat, we have always been obese. And, at some point, you accumulate distress and you say to yourself, “Am I going to be able to get out of this?” You also tell yourself that there are people in the same way, who are stuck at home and who say to themselves: “Where am I going, what will happen?” That’s why we got out of our couch! We lost almost 100 pounds each in 16 months and changed a lot of things. And there, imagine that, we’re going to Quebec! »

The two friends will leave Terrebonne on the morning of June 1 and plan to be at the foot of the Château Frontenac on June 11, in the afternoon.

Twenty-five kilometers (per day), it’s good, it’s the succession of days that will be the real challenge, but we will divide it into four blocks of walking of 6.25 kilometers per dayexplains Benoit Ladouceur.

We have a Facebook page: “Two big guys who walk.” We didn’t reinvent the wheel for the name, we were looking for an identity, we found it just as easily by that name. People can come and walk bits with us.

Sensitizing the population and especially young people to the problems related to obesity has become their mission.

We walk to inspire other fat people, says Jean-Philippe Gravel. I’m fat and there’s no shame in being fat, there’s no embarrassment in being fat, that’s how we are. It seems like there is a sort of taboo. The other time, I was like, “I have a Two Big Ones project that works.” Right away I was told: “Jean-Philippe, don’t say that!” I said to him: “Why not?” The person replies: “But you’re not fat.” I said to him: “Come on, open your eyes!” Yes, we are big, but that does not prevent us from questioning all that.

A philosophy that Benoit Ladouceur willingly endorses.

Over the months, we lined up the kilometers one after the other, slowly but surely. And it’s doable, it’s completely doable and, moreover, that’s kind of the message of Deux gros qui marchent: it’s that regardless of the reality in which you live, to take action , start a global health approach, whether physical or mental health, it is possible by small steps.

” Walking is universal and can affect teenagers, young adults, the elderly. I think that, in walking, we can bring together all generations. What transcends this is a state of well-being. Since March 2020, people have been looking for meaning, activities, it has been difficult and allowed us to move forward. It started out as a wish and has become what I dare call a way of life. »

Benoit Ladouceur and Jean-Philippe Gravel with their Deux gros qui marche jersey

Photo: Radio-Canada / Robert Frosi

The two friends invite all those who want to support them in their cause to come and walk alongside them and for those who are not yet convinced, Jean-Philippe Gravel had this last message: The good news is that we are marching towards Quebec. So theoretically, we should have the wind at our backs.