Arthur J. Brochu, president of Art Cycles Canada for Wishes Foundation, has a heart of gold and a strong sense of purpose. He recently completed a 100-kilometer ride to aid research for the blind in “Cycle for Sight.” Through his cycling, he is committed to helping those with disabilities and life-threatening illnesses, especially children. Mr. Brochu decided that on his 70th birthday he would cycle across Canada to raise money for the Children’s Wish Foundation, the largest and only all-Canadian wish-granting charity dedicated to granting heartfelt wishes to Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17, who are diagnosed with a grave illness.

Mr. Brochu began his intense training regime in 2012 with his trainer, Lori-Ann Muenzer, Canada’s first-ever Olympic Gold medalist in cycling from the 2004 Olympics in Athens. After two-and-a-half years of training, Mr. Brochu first honored his vow in 2014 by pedaling 9,285 kilometers (5,770 miles) from Port Hardy, British Columbia, to St. John’s, Newfoundland. With an act of selfless valor and dedication, he cycled through every major Alberta community, and through his home town of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. At the end, he raised $100,000.

A veteran who served with the Canadian Forces for over 25 years, Mr. Brochu was based in areas where children were beset by a great deal of suffering. To this day, these memories haunt him for not being able to help. Since retiring from the army, he has supported soldiers who were released from service due to injury. He still wants to give back more to the community, and so he will be participating in a race in May 2018, also sponsored by the Children’s Wish Foundation.

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