'It's been the most rewarding thing:' Why an Indigenous man embarked on a cross-country bike trip

When Chris Aubichon got himself a new bike and left for an ambitious bike trip across Canada from his home in Moncton, N.B., in May, he wasn't sure what to expect.

His first week on the road was challenging. The 44-year-old realized that his body was protesting as he pedaled, leaving him with sore legs and a sense of exhaustion.

However, Chris kept going despite the pain and woke up one day to realize that his body was starting to adapt, making it easier for him to spend longer hours on the road.

"You know, [I was] just terribly out of shape, struggling mentally and there were some long days," Chris said in a conversation on The Calgary Eyeopener.

"But I am now, you know, [averaging] 80 to 100 kilometres a day."

This was a massive improvement for the cyclist who was unable to go beyond 20 kilometres a day when he first started his cross-country trip.

Chris didn't plan his journey on a whim — it was a personal goal he was keen on chasing in a bid to kickstart his healing journey and advocate for mental health.

"I was raised in B.C. as a ward from six to 18," he said. "I aged out at 18 and was just shown the street."

He added that he ended up struggling to stay afloat as he battled addiction, homelessness, incarceration and mental health issues for several years. 

LISTEN I Chris Aubichon talks about his cross-country trip:

However, keen to rebuild his life, he decided to challenge himself when he learned about a promising opportunity. 

 "I recently found out that B.C. is now paying for education for former wards of the court," Chris said. 

"I wanted that. But I knew in the position I was in — mentally and physically — I would fail."

He added that while getting on a plane would've been easier, he would be "the same man"