‘Beyond our limits’: Rolling from Montreal to New York, raising thousands for muscular dystrophy

It takes over six hours to get from Montreal to New York by car, that’s nearly 600 kilometers — and François Bernier made that trip in his wheelchair, raising over $20,000 in support of Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

“To prove that we can always go beyond our limits,” said Bernier. “We had this crazy idea to do Montreal to New York.”

Their theme song through the journey: Imagine, by John Lennon.

And imagine, this feat all began back in July at Montreal’s La Fontaine Park.

Their team: made up of three…

Bernier: who tackled social media to raise funds.

And two of his friends: one pushing him while rollerblading and another following by car, taking care of logistics.

“We had no breaks,” explained Bernier. “So every day at 9 a.m. started rolling until like 6 p.m. and then just went to bed because we were too tired.”

The hills, heat and even a tornado –- in Lake George on day four of their 10-day quest, didn’t stop them.

“Unexpected events happened every day,” Bernier recalled. “But that’s part of an adventure.”

An adventure that had them cover about 60 kilometers per day.

On day nine, they reached their $20,000 goal –- funds to help support Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s essential programs that impact thousands living with a neuromuscular disease like Bernier.

“My favorite part was all the amazing views we had,” he explained. “Also meeting a bunch of people along the way.”

While Lennon’s Imagine was playing, they reached the Imagine Mosaic in Central Park on July 22.  

Journey’s like this, Bernier says, something he imagines to accomplish annually.

“Maybe I’m going to do something bigger next year,” he added. “That was a nice adventure.”