Nadine Chiasson is a familiar face at the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau... and that's an understatement: the 2025 edition will mark her sixth participation in the Tour!
Nadine at the 2024 Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau.
She first learned about the Fondation Charles-Bruneau many years ago, before taking on the Generosity route. She started with the 50-kilometer Discovery route, which is actually the one she "sells" to her less experienced cycling colleagues: "I tell them, 'If you can cycle to the ice cream shop four times, you can do the 50-kilometer route!' Then, I tell them it's not a race and I talk about the atmosphere. It's so much fun! I always look forward to it!" Her enthusiasm is clearly contagious: "I think I'm a good recruiter; there are several new people on my team this year! There's even one who hadn't cycled in almost 15 years! And when a colleague told me she was interested but didn't have a bike..., I offered to lend her my 'old' bike!"
The Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau, in RONA's DNA
Nadine readily mentions the company's involvement with the Fondation Charles-Bruneau during her job interviews. The management, for its part, organizes lunch-and-learns to present the fundraising event to its employees, sends out newsletters about it, and even pays employees' registration fees to encourage them to cycle for the cause.
Emotion is always present at the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau
Nadine emphasizes that one of the things she particularly appreciates about the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau is the special connection cyclists have with their paired child. "Meeting that child and their family truly gives meaning to everything you do..." Visibly moved, Nadine specifies: "Seeing the children, talking with the families at the refreshment stop... it brings tears to your eyes..." then, she adds with a chuckle: "Good thing my mascara is waterproof!"
"One pedal stroke at a time" for a cancer-free childhood
For the seasoned cyclist, "this adventure is much more than a simple sporting challenge; it's a way to support and bring hope to children with cancer." Regarding these young people and their families, she says, admiringly: "They are so courageous! For us, the participants, the effort is tiny compared to the efforts these families make every day!" She continues, emotionally: "It's simply spectacular what we can all achieve together; we are part of something bigger... We are part of a large family cycling for the same goal: a cancer-free childhood."
To encourage Nadine's RONA team: RONA | Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau
Team up for a cancer-free childhood 💙
