Northern Ontario man 'getting heart back' during walk for Humboldt

It's been nearly two weeks since the Humboldt Broncos' bus collided with a transport truck, taking the lives of 16 people on April 6, 2018.

For 24-year-old Rance Cardinal of Lac Seul First Nation in northern Ontario, this tragedy hit so close to home that after three days of thinking and planning, he said he decided to show his support in the best way he knew how.

• 'Going to gain my heart back': walker crosses Ontario, with a dream to play hockey in Humboldt

"I want to do my part," Cardinal told CBC News."It really hit me when I first heard about it ... [and]I thought it would be a big honour to get [my Humboldt Strong sign]to Humboldt.

"[So] I told my uncle, what wouldyou do if I walked there? And he gave me a different look; it wasn't a look of doubt, it was a look of pride."

Cardinal said he packed up hisbags on April 11, put the big yellow Humboldt Strong sign around his neck, and started walking on the Trans Canada Highway toSaskatchewanfrom Sioux Lookout, Ont.

One week update

Earlier this week, after seven days of walking, Cardinal took a full-day's rest in Kenora.

"I wanted to start walking again, but I havepeople telling me that I should take a day's break to get my feet and my legs back," Cardinal said, "so, as much as I wanted to keep going, I think I'll stay on the safe side."

He said he's blown away with the amount of support he's received so far and it hashelped him keep motivated throughout this journey.

"I'm trying my best to stay off Facebook, but people want me to update [them]," Cardinal said.

"I didn't expect it to get this big, I just wanted to get [to Humboldt] and get to know the families and show my support because this is devastating and it hit me as a hockey player, a former junior player and also as a father."

Healingwounds

Having lost a teammate to a car accident, Cardinal said he knows how it feels to lose someone close. He saidhe also lost his younger brother to an illness in 2013.

"I took it the wrong way," Cardinal said, "after [my younger brother]passed on, I pretty much turned to drugs [and] alcohol ... and Ieven came to a point where I became suicidal [but] hockey is the game that just kept me going."

With hundreds of honks a day, Cardinal said the support he's received from everyone has also helped him heal some of his past wounds as well.

"It's the people that are getting the message, the people that are showing me support," Cardinal continued, "that's what I think is gettingmy heart back and by the time I hit Humboldt, I'm going to be Rance Cardinal again."

He said when hereaches Humboldt, he looks forward to helping the community heal by offering his support and giving them hope.

"Like my late brother would always say, we'll bounce back."