Episode 198: Turning abuse into advocacy and a life of inspiration. Jean-Paul (JP) Bedard

Jean-Paul Bédard is an author, advocate, elite endurance athlete, and  was named one of the "50 Most Influential Canadians" by Huffington Post. In 2013, Jean-Paul disclosed to family and friends that he is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and rape. As a result, he turned to long-distance running to help him battle his addiction and mental health issues. Since that time, he has become an international advocate for other survivors of sexual violence.  In 2014, Jean-Paul ran the iconic Boston Marathon (http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/04/22/toronto_runner_conquers_double_boston_marathon_and_much_more.html) twice in the same day in a highly publicized campaign. In 2015 he was awarded the "Golden Shoe Award" for being named "Canadian Runner of the Year (http://runningmagazine.ca/our-golden-shoe-awards-runner-of-the-year-j-p-bedard/)".  As a Brooks sponsored athlete and veteran of over 130 marathons and ultra marathons, Jean-Paul represented Canada in the prestigious Comrades Marathon (http://www.breathethroughthis.com/running/the-ultimate-human-race) in South Africa, a grueling 90km race through mountainous terrain. In the fall of 2015, Jean-Paul ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon (http://canadarunningseries.com/blog/2015/06/runner-aiming-for-triple-toronto-waterfront-marathon-by-paul-gains/) three times in the same day to demonstrate the resiliency of survivors of trauma.

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