THUNDER BAY – The Heroes Unleashed Cross-Canada Challenge made a stop in Thunder Bay on Saturday.
Matt Devine, co-founder of Heroes Unleashed, is travelling across Canada, visiting 13 major cities for fitness-inspired events.
“What we're trying to do is initiate change in our communities through fitness and the impact it has on mental health.
“We're doing this with purpose and this year our purpose is Little Warriors, who treat kids who have been sexually abused across Canada,” he said.
Matt hopes to surpass $100,000 in fundraising, however money is not the only goal.
“Just as important as the money is awareness. Little Warriors is one of the best trauma-informed treatment centres, certainly in North America. And the more people we get talking about what they do, the more kids that can be helped,” he said.
Matt was 300 pounds and a heavy drinker/smoker. He was wrapped up in his career and stressed.
“The doctor did some tests on me for a completely unrelated issue and said more important than what you're here to see me about, is the fact that you're five years away from having a heart attack.
“They gave me a 95 per cent chance. So, I got fit.”
One day he woke up and thought, "I'm going to run 300 kilometers to the Canadian Rockies for sick kids," he said.
“It was just two people in a car and me running down the highway between Jasper and Canmore through the Rockies. We raised $60,000 for sick kids and that's the birth of Heroes Unleashed.
“Thunder Bay is amazing. Natalie from Within You stepped right up. We're hoping to get about 40 to 50 people out today."
Matt will be holding a second event in Thunder Bay on Sunday.
“I'm going to be cycling at The Brick here in Thunder Bay for approximately four to five hours - as long as it takes me to smash out 100 kilometres on a fixed trainer, which is very painful. Mixed in I'll do 400 push-ups as well.
“I'm calling it the 100 kilometre 400 push-up challenge,” he said.
Matt encourages everybody to come out and ask questions as he goes through that process.
Nicole Devine, co-founder of Heroes Unleashed and Matt's wife, said Little Warriors serve children across the country.
“Little Warriors is a Canadian national charity and they happen to be located with a head office in Alberta. If there is a child that is in need of therapy, the lawyers will bring them in at no cost to the families. They help children that are survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
“It should not hurt to be a child - we need to raise awareness,” she said.
Nicole said they want everybody to know that kids have the opportunity to get the treatment and healing they need.
“It's never a cure because they're going to live with that trauma and carry it with them. But they get the tools, resources and support that will help them deal with those triggers as they come through life so that they can have prosperous, productive, joyful lives.”
There are donors and supporters of Little Warriors across the country, Nicole said. However, if a child is in need of some of this trauma-informed therapy they can go online and put their application in.
“Little Warriors will reach out and go through the process of bringing them to the right resources, tools and people. Sometimes that means getting them on a plane at no cost to the family and bringing them out to the Be Brave Ranch (in Alberta), which is a spectacular place,” she said.
Nicole said when they got the opportunity to go there, that is what grabbed them and said this is it.
“These are the kids and this is the charity. We need to help the kids receive this ongoing intensive therapy,” she said.
“They have four trips to the ranch in the course of 12 months. When they go back home to their families or their caregivers, they then have connections online and through local resources to help them continue their healing process.”
It's about gaining the tools, resources, knowledge, and the feeling of safety so that kids can speak their truth and heal, Nicole said. That's what is vitally important for the kids.
“We also want them to follow Little Warriors Canada, that is so vital for the awareness piece.
“Once you go to their website, there are so many tools and resources that we as adults can leverage so that we can learn more.”
Heroes Unleashed is on Instagram, Facebook and have a website with more information.
