Marcel Lafontaine’s inspiring story behind the ultimate MS fundraising ride

So many Canadians know someone, a friend or family member, who is living with MS. Those who ride in MS Bike annually to raise funds for support programs and critical MS research often say someone close to them was the inspiration to participate. Marcel Lafontaine, 57, has been riding at the Ottawa to Brockville MS Bike event for eight years. His aunt lived with MS and one of the riders of his team lives with MS.

But his latest endeavour goes beyond his annual MS Bike ride: in 2025, he’s cycling coast to coast across Canada in an inspiring effort to raise money and awareness about MS.

Lafontaine’s inspiration came from an appreciation of a fellow cyclist’s journey a couple of years back. Longtime MS Bike participant, Jonathan Allenger lives with MS and in 2023, he rode 6,000 kilometres across Canada raising $100,000. Lafontaine, who is both a husband and father of two, was moved by his journey and decided to replicate it in support of the over 90,000 Canadians living with MS.

“What inspired me? It started when Jonathan, who lives with MS, shared his story with the world through MS Canada. He was a keynote speaker at our MS Bike event, and when he spoke, it really struck a chord. That moment planted the seed and it made me ask, what more can I do? That’s what inspired me to ride across Canada.”

Lafontaine, from St-Albert, Ont., is a civilian member of the RCMP and is taking four months off, unpaid for the ride. He wants a bit of a buffer in case things take longer than expected. Plus, he wants to be back by mid-August for the annual MS Bike ride in his area.

“We aim to get going May 11,” he said. The cross-country ride has taken lots of planning and training.

 

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“How much prep went into this? A lot,” he said. “It’s tough to ride consistently while also working full-time and having a family, but I’ve been on all the bikes — road, trainer, even Zwift (where I’ve logged close to 4000 km since last fall!). I’ve done a few multi-day stretches, but it’s hard to keep it up with life getting in the way. I’ve done 100 km before breakfast a few times just to see if I could — and to see if I think I’m good to go.”

As for the ride itself, the plan is to complete it in about 70 days, that’s around 110 to 115 km a day.

“But anything can change, especially the weather. That’s the biggest factor. Wind, terrain, fatigue, it all adds up. I’ll definitely need breaks.”

He’s got one very important support member helping him out.

MS Bike 2-month training plan: Getting ready for the big ride

“I’ve got my RV, and inside, I’ve got it all. It’s my pit crew for medical support, my kitchen, and my repair shop. Everything I need, all rolled into one. My wife, Joëlle is driving it. She just retired a few months ago, and she’ll be heading out ahead of time to help set up and let people know I’m coming.”

He has big goals… and a few fears, naturally.

“I’m not really scared, but there’s definitely some trepidation. It’s not the distance that worries me; it’s the bigger cities, the traffic, and some of the remote stretches. Going through the B.C. interior, there are black bears… maybe even grizzlies,” he half-jokes.

But his main goal is simple: finishing the ride.

“But more than that, I want to raise awareness. MS affects a lot of people, on average 12 Canadians get diagnosed with it every day and we still need more government support and funding. That’s a big part of why I’m doing this,” he says.

He grew up cycling, but in recent years, it’s taken centre stage, with MS Bike being a key reason for his training.

To follow his journey, be sure to check out his Instagram. To support his goal, you can donate to MS Bike.

Join Marcel on his inspiring journey by signing up for MS Bike today to challenge yourself and help move us closer to a world free of MS.