Alexandre Bilodeau, pictured with Ainsley and Alexandra, says every time he visits the children at the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre he walks in “with all the humility in the world to see what they go through.” | Photo copyright Martin Girard
Through the Alexandre Bilodeau Fund for Adapted Sports, he hopes to raise the money within two years to support programs at Montreal’s MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre over the next decade.
“People with disabilities need something to get their motivation going,” says Bilodeau, whose older brother Frédéric has cerebral palsy. “Sport is a great vector for that.”
These specialized programs include hydrotherapy, training for competitive athletic events, community sports activities and goal ball, a team sport created for blind athletes.
They help rehabilitate children by shifting the focus to having fun — and away from their weaknesses.
Theodora Brinckman, executive director at the MAB-Mackay Foundation, witnesses the way these programs impact not only the clients themselves but also their families. “I see the strength of the human spirit every day when I go into work,” she says.
The Alexandre Bilodeau Fund will help children with physical and sensory impairments access adapted sports for rehabilitation therapy. | Photo courtesy MAB-Mackay Foundation