iAtoday

Cold nights, hot days, bad weather, sleepless hours…

None of this dampened the enthusiasm of the iA Financial Group cycling team, as it successfully completed the 1,000 km Grand défi Pierre Lavoie (GDPL) challenge, from June 8 to 11.

The GDPL is a larger-than-life cycling marathon during which each cyclist must pedal an average of 400 km over 4 days and 3 nights. The iA team completed the 13-stage circuit from Saguenay to Varennes, passing through some thirty towns and villages dotted across the Quebec landscape.

This was iA Financial Group’s first participation in the GDPL, for which 230 teams had registered this year.

Success for the iA team

The iA team, made up of Mathieu Bujold, Caroline Larouche, Frédéric Leblanc, Jean-François Parent, Louis-Philippe Pouliot and Marie-Pier Villemure, from the Group Benefits and Retirement Solutions line of business, surpassed its goal by raising a grand total of $17,000 in donations!

Part of the funds raised will help support research into orphaned hereditary diseases. Another portion will be donated to the grade school sponsored by the iA team, École des Cœurs-Vaillants, in Quebec City. The proceeds will be used to fund projects aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle habits.

In total, including the training sessions done by each member and their participation in the GDPL, the iA team will have cycled almost 10,000 km in support of the cause.

Our participation in the event was in line with our ambition to be present and active in the daily lives of Canadians to support their financial, physical and mental well-being.

Crowds were out in force for the adventure

For this 15th edition of the GDPL, the towns hosting the 1,200 cyclists at each stage of the course were on hand to show their appreciation. At every departure and finishing line, crowds went out of their way to cheer and support the participants.

Each of the stopover towns vied with each other to offer an enchanting setting for the cyclists. Concerts, musical and acrobatic performances, parades, games for children and families, fire sirens: cyclists were welcomed like celebrities all along.

We’d like to thank our main sponsors, iA Financial Group and Express Scripts Canada, our generous donors, Swiss Re and Source Evolution, and all our friends, colleagues and relatives who supported our team in this cause. 

That said, the adventure isn't over: we're still collecting donations.

You can still contribute to the cause of global wellness by visiting the team’s webpage for the event!

Mathieu Bujold, Solution Architecture Advisor

Caroline Larouche, Account Executive

Frédéric Leblanc, Strategic Leader

Jean-François Parent, Communication Strategist

Louis-Philippe Pouliot, Senior Vice-President

Marie-Pier Villemure, Senior Director