Man paddles 1000km for MS awareness

Géraud Paillot today set off by kayak from Paris on a journey to Marseille that will take him through France by way of the country’s rivers and canals.

He will pass through the following: Melun on August 16, Nevers on August 28, Chalon-sur-Saône on September 7, Lyon on September 15, Avignon on September 19. He aims to reach Marseille on October 7, crossing a total of 1000 kilometres in 55 days.

“The idea is to cross 20 kilometres a day on average,” he told France Bleu. “It’s the perfect sport for me as sometimes I have trouble walking. I can meet nice people along the way,” he added.

He aims to hold conferences in the cities where he is making stops, where he will meet people living with MS and show the general public that people can still live a full life with the condition.

The father of two has lived with MS for 13 years. He has so far raised €6000 on crowdfunding site Ulula, which will go to the Foundation for Assistance and Research into MS (ARSEP) and the Réseau Rhône-Alpes MS society.

There is no current cure for the MS but there are certain treatments that can ease the condition.