4TH MS CHALLENGE THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
Karine Bouchard. If you’re a skier in the Mont SUTTON family, you may know the name. Karine is currently the top fundraiser for this 4th edition of MS Mountain Bike Challenge, to be held this Saturday, August 17, as this is her first participation in the event.
Her motivation? Karine was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just over a year ago.”On June 27, 2023, I was diagnosed with MS. My legs gave out on me and I crashed. Despite the shock and the tidal wave of emotions, there are some shining moments that stand out: my pivot nurse, my personal and professional entourage, and MS Canada” she says, expressing surprise at the outpouring of support she received at the launch of her fundraising campaign.
“The disease takes on many faces, and I also represent the face of the disease. Treatments are constantly evolving, research is moving forward and services are essential. We can maintain these efforts thanks to the involvement of people like you.” It is for the importance of ensuring sustained efforts in research to counter this strange disease that the MS Mountain Bike Challenge event was created and continues every year in mid-August.
The importance of staying in shape is paramount for anyone suffering from multiple sclerosis, and of course, physical activity and being outdoors free the heart and mind! It’s a source of great pride for Mont SUTTON to have been involved since the very beginning, with a team of motivated and committed organizers!
Watch Karine Bouchard’s testimonial
See the video below in french of Karine Bouchard’s account of receiving the news, the emotions that followed her diagnosis and her 1st participation in the actual event.
Support from a motivated community
A number of committed members of the community, both with and without this little-known condition, are actively supporting the cause and the event, already promising to make it a 4th success. Eddy Zajac, who himself suffers from multiple sclerosis, is one of them and has generously accepted the role of Honorary President of the 2024 edition. He has devoted much of his life to the ski and insurance industry, gaining remarkable expertise in his field.
However, in 2019, his life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), distinguished from the common form (known as relapsing-remitting) by a regular worsening of symptoms, usually without a distinct relapse or period of remission. This disabling form of the disorder affects 15% of diagnosed individuals.
“It was a real shock to learn this. I received this diagnosis when I was consulting a doctor for back pain following my second lumbar surgery. No neurologist had ever considered this disease before. It completely changed my life, as I had to take forced retirement and my future was now uncertain.“. It’s so that people like Eddy can count on a cure following an MS diagnosis that the current challenge continues, year after year.
A promising 4th edition on the mountain
The MS Mountain Bike Challenge is currently in its 4th year. The event, the brainchild of Jean-Sylvain Ouellette, a loyal Mont SUTTON skier who was himself diagnosed with the disease a few years ago, is primarily intended as a hopeful event to be part of the solution and contribute to research efforts. To read Jean-Sylvain’s full testimonial and the genesis of the event, you can read a post published last year here.
For this fourth consecutive edition, the event can once again count on its spokesman, comedian Marc Fournier, in addition to brand ambassadors Eddy, Karine and many others. The current edition has the ambitious goal of raising $100,000… and at present, more than 80% of the amount has already been raised. Everyone is invited to come to Mont SUTTON on Saturday, August 17, and contribute by one of the many methods offered on site, and make the goal explode!
Note to mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts: all activities offered at the mountain will take place according to their regular schedules. It will also be possible to make a donation and cheer on participants between a game of disc golf or a zipline descent!
Registration and contribution
You can help build a world without MS by taking part in the MS Mountain Bike Challenge on Saturday, August 17 at Mont SUTTON. Participants are asked to raise a minimum of $300 to support MS Canada’s research for a world without multiple sclerosis.
It’s never too late to register and join us! Choose your preferred option (hiking or mountain biking 10km, 20km or 30km) and join us for a day of action, an electrifying 4 to 7 and the chance to sleep in an RV in one of our parking lots. Register here. To make a donation to one of the participants, you can access the platform here.
You can also bid right now on one of the silent auction lots by clicking here. You can also bid on site at the event, where the lots will be handed over to you. Bids will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 17.
