A man who was once warned he may never walk properly again is now on his trek back to Halifax after running to the West Coast.
Trevor Redmond, also known as The Fellow in Yellow, was struck by a vehicle when he was 15, shattering his leg in 20 places and rendering him immobile for over a year. He’s come a long way since then, figuratively and literally, as he’s on his third trip across Canada without a car. He has already walked and biked the journey, and now, he’s running.
“What inspired me to go out this time was to share my story and to comfort people with theirs…I really want to reach as many people as I can as I’m going across Canada.”
Redmond says his mission is to spread awareness about mental health, the importance of mobility, and recovery to every Canadian. After the accident, Redmond knew he would never take mobility for granted again.
“The best that anybody hoped for is that I’d be walking with a cane for the rest of my life. Here I am, 55 years old now, and I’ve run 12,784 kilometres across Canada.”
He explains that there needs to be more of a focus on keeping a healthy mind, alongside a healthy body. Ideally, he adds, 12 per cent of Canada’s health care funding go towards mental health. The country is about halfway to that goal right now, so he says more needs to be done.
The Fellow in Yellow left Halifax in March of 2024, and after reaching the west coast, he is now on his way back through and is scheduled to reach Saskatoon today, Wednesday.
With a chuckle, he adds that even the mountains in British Columbia are no match for the prairie wind and rain, which have delayed him a bit over the last few weeks.
“The Prairies got some pretty good winds. Me running out there when it’s about forty kilometres an hour, heading towards fifty, it’s just a little bit too dangerous for me to be out there.”
His jaunt has also encompassed two winter seasons, neither of which were pleasant.
“As you come home sometimes with the snow, and you have to shovel your driveway out, for me to set up a tent, I’d actually have to shovel from the highway into an area and shovel all that out. Probably at least a 10-foot by eight-foot area so I could just set up a tent for the night.”
He hopes to reach Halifax before a third winter sets in.
Those who want to pay him a visit can use the real-time position tracker on his Facebook page, and anyone eager to donate can find him at thereandbackcanada.ca. Redmond says he is running in support of Dollar A Day Foundation, which helps with mental health and additions issues through other community organizations.
