Although he's only 17 Eric Bilodeau has already participated in two adventures many would consider events of a lifetime. Now the Sunshine Coast youth has been chosen as the only Canadian to be a part of the 2007 Pole to Pole Expedition. One of 34 applicants for the cutting-edge program, Eric was selected by his peers to represent Canada when the expedition leaves in April.
The young man was amazed at the process the group used to chose him.
"There was no hard competition. Everyone was genuinely concerned for the success of the program, not just me, me, me -which was really beautiful and really amazing," Eric explained.
By the time the expedition leaves from the North Pole next spring Eric will be 18, the minimum age eligible for the trek. Before he can join the expedition he needs to raise $25,000 to cover his expenses. So far he's amassed $2,630. Eric emphasizes that community support is important to the program. He wants to see the Sunshine Coast as community sponsor. For any business or community group wanting to expand their presence in the world this is a great opportunity. Eric can be reached at [email protected] or at 604-741-1272.
Now he is busy with the expert training provided by Cross-Trainers Health and Fitness. And Eric is pulling big tires around to develop the strength he'll need to pull sleds over vast distances. Because he's very slim Eric also needs to build up his muscle bulk through anaerobic exercises to make sure he has sufficient stores for times when the group won't be eating properly.
In addition to the physical preparations, Eric is taking French and German lessons (he's already fluent in Spanish) and he plans to study travel writing, photography, leadership facilitation and how to budget his time before leaving on the trip - heady goals for a young man who's still two courses short of his high school diploma.
The reason Eric hasn't graduated yet becomes apparent when he tells about his experience this past year as a Rotary exchange student in Ecuador. The differences between the rich and abject poverty of the country also help to explain why someone so young is concerned about the world around him.
While living in the city of Latacunga Eric became aware of the efforts of some well-known charitable organizations. Some of them were inefficient and unrealistic in their efforts at global aid.
A problem, he said, Pole to Pole doesn't have.
"It's a new and creative way to go. They use youth leadership as a basis for the solution to global problems. They train young people to make a difference," he said. "This is a globalized world, we need to work together to make it a better place."
Another recent adventure Eric participated in also helped him to see the power of community.
He was part of the Pulling Together canoe trip from Powell River to Vancouver this past summer. The trip is designed to bring together police forces, First Nations people and youth.
"There was no underlying motive to the trip and yet it had a powerful result for everyone connected with the trip. It was inspiring. We saw the respected traditions of the land while at the same time relating that respect to today," he shared.In addition to the expedition team Pole to Pole also has advance teams in the areas the group will travel to. The advance people spend up to 10 months doing community development and charitable work. This could be anything from working with AIDS orphans to helping secure clean water.
The third component of the program is education. Around Europe and North America members of Pole to Pole do outreach work in local schools. According to Eric the program is flexible allowing for half or full days with the students.
"That to me is why the program is so integral. Most projects only focus on one aspect but Pole to Pole unites all of them together, doing focused, powerful work. It's like having all three bases covered."
If you'd like more information or an opportunity to meet this remarkable young man, join Eric for a slideshow on Pole to Pole on Nov. 9 at the Gibsons Public Library at 7 p.m.
