Meet the Halifax 'Fellow in Yellow' training to run across Canada

A Halifax man whose dream of running across the country got derailed when he got hit by a bus at the age of 15 says he plans to achieve his lifelong dream next year.

The accident left Trevor Redmond, now 47,with limited mobility in his left ankle, but he still managed to walk across the country in 2006 and 2007 while hauling a 180-kilogram trailer.In 2009, Redmond cycled from Calgary to the East Coast and then back to the West Coast.

These days, Redmond can often be foundon weekends running on the spot at the Halifax waterfront or at the Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road. Besides the training component, he hopes to motivate others.

"I want to encourage people to move, in whatever position that they're in," said Redmond. "Even if they're in a very bad position health-wise or otherwise, they can still move in their own way, and conquer that position."

Redmondcalls himself "The Fellow in Yellow" because whenever he's running, he's dressed head-to-toe in bright yellow.

He saidthe outfit and activityhave garnered a lot of attention and started a lot of conversations, with kids running up and joining him in his spot running for up to 20 minutes at a time.

Connecting with people is one of the most rewarding aspects of it, he said.

"The more we move, the more we move others," said Redmond, who works in a warehouse.

Most weekends, you'll see him running on the spot forhours on end, working up a sweat and turning 90 degrees every time he hits 120 steps.

Redmond keeps track of his progress on his phone's pedometer.His steps totalled 800,000 for the month of Julyand he's hoping to get that number up to one million for August.

On Redmond'sfirst three Canadian treks, he raised money and awareness for cancer prevention and research. He said prevention is importantbecause through a healthy and active lifestyle, people can prevent all sorts of ailments.

This time around, he has an added message.

"We need to be our own heroes and we need to take control of what we do for ourselves," said Redmond. "I think in doing that, we encourage others to do the same."

Redmond said he believes running across the country would make him the first person to complete the cross-country trifecta: walking, cyclingand running from coast to coast.

Originally from Pictou County, N.S., Redmond said he's looking forsponsors and volunteers to support him on his journey. His past trips across the country have been financed by donations and personal savings.

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