Published on: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 |
Canadian Jean Beliveau left Montreal on his 45th birthday on Aug. 18, 2000 with the goal of completing 75,000km through 66 nations in 11 years in accordance to the United Nations proclamation: 2001-2010 - International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World.
He has so far completed 59,000km. Pushing his trademark three-wheel stroller carrying food, clothing, first-aid, a small tent and a sleeping bag, Beliveau began his walk in Borneo in Sandakan after covering more than 400km in Mindanao.
It took him 10 days to reach the State capital on Sunday.
According to him, the initial route across five continents did not include Sabah or Borneo as he was supposed to go to the Indochina region after the Philippines.
But, his route had to be diverted due to the rainy season in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. "Yes I love it here. It is a very beautiful State and the people are lovely," he said, and is making his way to Brunei and Sarawak before heading to Singapore.
Beliveau admitted there were times when he wanted to give up but decided against it when he thought of the tremendous support he had received over the years, including from his family.
"I cannot stop because it is not an easy task," he said. In many of the countries that he passed by, local organisations involved in children's welfare would hold events to raise funds, not for him but for the local children.
His reward for doing the walk was being able to meet leaders like Nelson Mandela in South Africa and Kim-Dae Jung in South Korea as well as knowing the diverse cultures and peoples of the world.
On what made him embark on it, he said, "it could be my mid-life crisis and I wanted to do something crazyÉthen the idea came".
He kept the idea to himself for eight months before telling his wife who was at first reluctant and thought it was a way for him to leave her because he would not be returning home for another 11 years.
"I told her no, I still love you É after that she understood and has been giving me full support," he said, adding that each year his wife would come to visit him for one month in whichever country he is in.
He also became a grandfather while on his mission.
Asked if he encountered danger during his journey alone, he said there was a time in South Africa when two men tried to take away his stroller but he managed to thwart them.
Another was in Peru's Atacama Desert, when he heard a puma outside his tent while he was sleeping, while in Japan he had an encounter with a bear.
Beliveau said in some of the countries he would seek assistance from the local police for a place to sleep and it is often in jails.
"I have slept in six jails already," he said, adding that keeping him going was the strong support from people, some of who donate shirts and shoes.
"I am now wearing my 41st pair of shoes," he said.
Beliveau said his journey was now about 80 per cent complete. After Singapore, he would go to Indonesia, Timor Leste, Australia, New Zealand before heading to Canada and walk across North America to reach his home.
"My real mission I think begins after I complete the walk. I am gathering so much information on culture and politics of the places I have been and will piece it all together to complete a single puzzle," he said, adding that already he had received so many invitations to present talks in universities.
