The Achievement
My goal was to accomplish something extraordinary and bring Duchenne muscular dystrophy out of the darkness and into the light. I hope I’ve made a difference.
It took 286 days, and on January 20, 1999, I reached Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, British Columbia, where I dipped my running shoes into the Pacific Ocean, the same as I had done on day one in the Atlantic ocean and completed my walk across Canada. The journey was later recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest crossing of Canada on foot.
The journey across Canada became a life changing experience for me. While I felt a sense of relief that this journey was over, I also felt like a very fortunate dad. I knew at the completion of the journey what I am supposed to do with my life. I continue to try to do everything I can to make life better for all those boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The journey wasn’t at an end. It was at a new beginning. And that journey continues…
The journey across Canada had become a life changing experience for me. While I felt a sense of relief I also felt like a very fortunate dad. I knew at the completion of the journey what I am supposed to do with my life. I continue to try to do everything I can to make life better for all those boys with Duchenne. The journey wasn’t at an end. It was at a new beginning. And that journey continues…
The Real Measure of Success
Completing the walk across Canada was never the end of the story. The real goal was, and is, to generate the funding needed to advance Duchenne research and create hope for families facing the disease. As a dad, what began as the promise I made to my son to do everything I could to fund research on the road to a cure, has grown into a lasting legacy that continues to make a difference today.
The Boy Who Started It All
The Boy Who Started It All
Everything you have read so far traces back to one remarkable young man. Jesse's courage, determination, and belief in the power of research inspired a journey that continues to make a difference today. It seems only fitting that before we close this chapter of the story, Jesse should have the opportunity to share a few words of his own.
