Man running across Canada to inspire

Sebastien Sasseville, a motivational speaker who, in 2002, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 22, is running from coast to coast, called Outrun Diabetes, in hopes of inspiring others to live active and enjoyable lifestyles.

The Laval University graduate, in 2008, climbed Mount Everest and has also completed the 250K Sahara Race through Egypt’s corner of the vast desert. He wasn’t always an athlete but, when diagnosed with diabetes, he decided to live a healthier life.

“I was a usual 22-year-old kid,” says Sassville, “spending a lot of time at the pub and wasn’t really active. I don’t think it was abnormal, but you don’t need to do a lot to stay fit and slim at 22, right? So, that was really a catalyst. It was something that made me want to get healthier and then I started exercising.”

The runner spent last weekend in Toronto and will continue west towards Windsor this week, before heading back towards northern Ontario and towards the prairies in coming months.

Sassville is not the first to run from coast to coast. Earlier this year Gloucester, England, runner Jamie McDonald finished his trip across the continent to raise money for children’s hospitals but it wasn’t without struggles. His trip took much longer than he had anticipated and spent some of the coldest weeks of the year during January and February running through the Rocky Mountains, which he later admitted could have been more properly planned. Sassville has been running since the start of February, meaning he should reach the mountains by fall.

“We want people to live life to the fullest no matter what obstacles they face,” explains the Quebecer about what he hopes to accomplish. “It’s not specific to diabetes. […] It doesn’t have to be running across the country or climbing Everest. We all have that unlimited potential within ourselves to get to those goals.”