Walking has never been my thing. I often fall, or trip, or just find anyway to embarrass myself. Even more, after walking for no more than a few blocks up hill, I find myself out of breath. This might add to my amazement for this one man’s story. Nevertheless, his journey is nothing but admirable and inspirational.
On Aug 18, 2000 at 9 a.m. Jean Béliveau began a journey that would take him on an adventure of a lifetime. He left his home in Montreal with nothing but a three-wheeled stroller, his clothing, a First Aid kit, a small tent and a sleeping bag.
His mission? To walk around the world. That’s right, around the WHOLE world. Sixty-four countries to be exact. Now, before you go and Google how long of a walk that is, I’ll save you the time and energy. It’s 75,000km. That’s 11 years of walking. That’s right, while I often complain about walking up three flights of stairs at my school, this man is taking millions more steps. Next question: why? In 2001, the United Nations declared that 2001-2010 would be the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World. Béliveau’s goal was to promote this decade as well as the idea of peace and non-violence for children around the world.
I think we can all agree that this man is truly amazing and deserves all the support he can get. He’ll be home on October 16, but that doesn’t mean that his journey should be forgotten. People like Jean Béliveau are doing truly amazing things for youth and we must not take it for granted.
To learn more about this man and his journey, visit his website at http://wwwalk.org/en/
(Photo Cred:http://wwwalk.org/en/)