This Monday, June 3, Pierre Pasquet, originally from the town of Billanges, begins a two-month journey by bike. 5,000 km, this is the distance that the young Frenchman will travel in Canada. The objective? Raise public awareness about multiple sclerosis (MS) and collect donations for the benefit of the French Association of Multiple Sclerosis Patients (AFSEP).
“I lost my mother to this disease. I always had this goal in mind, it made sense to do it for such a cause,” explains Pierre Pasquet soberly during a telephone interview.
This Monday, June 3, he begins his adventure from Montreal in Canada. Completing this 5,000 km journey by bike was obvious for the young man. “I am from Limousin, to get around, I have always used the bike. Then, I lived in Toulouse for a few years, it was my means of transport,” he explains. Using the bike “it appeals, it allows you to meet people more easily, it made sense to me,” he says.
This is not his first project. In 2021, he set off on the Vélodyssée which links Roscoff to Hendaye for 28 days. This 1,200 km journey had the same objective: to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and raise money to help fight this disease. He thus collected around €3,300 in donations.
“I have always loved cycling. And then see people. I liked being part of the project,” explains the young Billangeot in a cheerful tone.
This year, he will set off in Eastern Canada. This long journey will pass through several provinces of the country including Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Multiple sclerosis, a complex disease
Pierre dedicated his second cycling trip to the same cause. This time, he plans to raise €5,000, or as much money as kilometers traveled, thanks to an online fundraiser. Donations will be donated to AFSEP, an association dedicated to the fight against multiple sclerosis. According to a file from the Ministry of Health and Solidarity, around “120,000 people in France suffer from multiple sclerosis” and this disease is often diagnosed “between the ages of 25 and 35”. Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease caused by a failure of the immune system. This attacks the central nervous system, that is to say the brain and spinal cord. Ultimately, the lesions cause “motor, sensory and cognitive disorders”, underlines the AFSEP.
The association offers several services such as “a helpline offering psychological support, well-being advice, videoconference workshops, and a legal center to support people with MS and their caregivers”.
A need for awareness
“Is everyone aware? I don’t know,” asks Pierre Pasquet. “We often talk about it during awareness periods but there are plenty of people who are fighting to ensure that the disease recedes,” he explains. Pierre is counting on the fact that his unique adventure will be publicized and that it will raise awareness among more people.
The journey “will last around two months. I will do a sort of summary every two or three days on Instagram,” explains the young Billangeot. Sharing his adventure on the networks can also help him publicize his cause. “The majority of younger generations are on social networks and it is a means of communication. Social media can have a positive impact,” he says hopefully. For him, the important thing is that everyone realizes “that it can happen to those around us”. “I invite people who have the opportunity to make a donation for this cause,” he concludes.
Even before his two months of leg-strength adventure in the Canadian lands, Pierre Pasquet was already thinking about another cycling trip on the famous route to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle in two or three years. In a more distant future, “why not also do the EuroVélo 1 route, from the North Cape to Portugal”, he adds.
Email from Pierre Pasquet: [email protected] / Instagram: pedalingforsolidarity.
Link to the prize pool on Helloasso. The donation to AFSEP (French Association of Multiple Sclerosis Patients) entitles you to a tax reduction because it meets the general conditions provided for in articles 200 and 238 bis of the general tax code
Pierrick Mouëza
