Drayton resident to carry Olympic torch
J.P. Fillion to take 'walk of a lifetime' on Feb. 2 as part of torch relay ahead of Winter Olympics
DRAYTON – Drayton resident J.P. Fillion has travelled over 6,000km to Milan, Italy to carry the Olympic torch on behalf of Canada.
“I feel extremely honoured,” said Fillion, who was to take part in the torch relay on Feb. 2 ahead of the Winter Games in Milano Cortina Feb. 6 to 22.
“At one point in my life, after an accident which injured my back, I couldn’t walk for several months … Now, I’ll be making the walk of a lifetime.”
He was selected as a torch bearer after colleagues encouraged him to apply through the Games’ official website.
An accomplished cyclist and dedicated supporter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Fillion was born with pulmonary stenosis, a congenital heart defect that restricts blood flow from the heart to the lungs.
He had open-heart surgery to correct the condition at the ages of two, 18 and, most recently last February, in his mid-40s.
“When I was 10 years old the cardiologist explained (that) without my open-heart surgery at two years old in the 1980s, I wouldn’t have lived beyond 13 years,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Fillion has used his love for cycling to raise funds and awareness for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Over the last three years, he has worked tirelessly to cycle the equivalent distance of a cross-Canada trek.
This year he set an even more ambitious target: to reach 50,000 metres in cycling elevation gains – equivalent to nearly six Mount Everests – by the end of this summer.
“I’m in my mid-40s and in the best shape of my life.,” Fillion said.
“I never started this journey expecting accolades. I thought it would be great to raise money for charity and give back since I was going to bike anyway.”
He added, “It’s kind of spiraled into daily biking/exercises, tens of thousands of dollars raised for Heart and Stroke while also becoming the team captain, winning a Fat Bike, being selected for the King Charles III Coronation Medal and chosen to carry the Olympic torch in Italy.
“My friends and family are very excited and proud of me. They have all responded much more excitedly than I anticipated, wanting to know when they can maybe catch a glimpse of me on TV, which in turn has upped the excitement on my end,” said Fillion.
“I let them know I’ll be easy to spot – I’ll be the one walking with the torch.”