Winnipeg man running across Canada in support of cancer research
A man from Winnipeg is running across Canada in an effort to raise money for cancer research.
With just a tent, sleeping bag, and the crisp Newfoundland air in his lungs, Jackson Charron-Okerlund, began fulfilling his long-time goal on March 6.
“I am going on foot from the East Coast of Canada, started in St. John’s, Newfoundland, at the Terry Fox monument -- mile zero -- and I’m making my way across the country to B.C.,” he said.
Charron-Okerlund says he has always admired Terry Fox and his legacy.
“His story gave me the strength and the hope to build myself up to this point and do something like this, so now I just wanted to honor him in a way where I could just show him what he made Canadians believe they could do.”
Over the last four years, he has been training his body to trek long distances.
“I put in about between 20 to 40 kilometers a day on my legs, and then I would hit the weights in the gym -- so squats, calf raises, and then also building up my upper body -- because I’d know when I’m out here I’d be dwindling away,” he said.
Throughout the time he trained, Charron-Okerlund worked in a long-term care home.
He says it was through his job that he realized he wanted to make a greater impact.
“When I worked in the care home, I only got to do and give back to about 50 people and I guess taking on this cause I could help out, try and make a difference in a bigger scale.”
Once his training was complete, Charron-Okerlund packed his things and made his way to Newfoundland.
From there, he created an online fundraiser with a goal to raise $50,000.
Charron-Okerlund is travelling 7,000 kilometers in total -- his goal is to cover that within 120 to 140 days.
He says he has received a lot of support since beginning his journey.
“People hunting me down on the Trans-Canada Highway to give cash donations and each and every one of those people have a story to share about cancer, how they’ve been affected in their lives, so now every single step I take is for those people and those families.”
Thursday was day 18 on Charron-Okerlund’s journey.
He hopes to make it to Port aux Basques, N.L., by Friday night.
Updates on his journey can be found on TikTok.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.