Being born with a disability has given Jeffrey Beausoleil a super power.
He was born without a right hand and foot, and it’s made him an expert at overcoming obstacles.
At 19 years old, he’s finished 13 Spartan extreme obstacle races and will tackle another this weekend.
“Obstacles are how you see them and how much effort you put into overcoming them,” said Beausoleil. “I want to tell Canadians to see obstacles – in Spartan Races and in life – as opportunities to prove and improve yourself.”
Beausoleil is 19, and has been a patient at the Shriners Hospital for Children - Canada since he was five months old. The hospital gave him his first prosthetic leg and has provided him with physiotherapy and occupational therapy to help him learn how to perform day-to-day functions on his own with one hand.
“They helped me become autonomous,” said Beausoleil. “I’m so grateful for everything, and so grateful for all the kids they are treating. I’m not the only one. Thousands go through that hospital every year. It’s such an amazing hospital.”
Beausoleil has been inspiring elite Spartan runners who have made careers out of highly-competitive timed Spartan runs. The runners have gathered at obstacles to cheer Beausoleil on and met him at the finish line to let him know how much he’s inspired them.
“It’s such a big honour because they are impressing me, they are better than me,” he said. “When they tell me I’m inspiring, it’s a big honour.”
Beausoleil first began running in a Spartan race after being prompted by his treatment team. Shriners Hospital for Children is the national charity partner for Spartan races in Canada, a partnership that has grown for the past four years. He will be running in the Spartan race at Highlands Nordic Centre in Duntroon tomorrow (Sept. 8) with his father, brother and other family members.
Spartan races include three options. The Sprint is five-plus kilometres with 20-23 obstacles, the Super is 13-plus kilometres with 24-29 obstacles and the Beast is a 20-plus kilometre course with 30-35 obstacles.
In the past, Beausoleil’s best Spartan time was two hours for a Sprint race. Tomorrow, he’ll run the Beast race for the second time in his Spartan career. The first time took him 13 hours.
He and his family have set a Spartan race fundraising goal of $10,000 for Shriners Hospital. They did it two years ago and he’s hoping they can do it again.
In addition to the funds raised by racers, Shriners Hospital receives a donation from Spartan races as a thank you for the volunteers who help at each race.
“The reason why we were interested [in Spartan races] in the beginning stays the same today,” said Emmanuelle Rondeau, director of business development, communications and marketing at Canada Shriners Hospital. “Kids face challenges that most of us think are insurmountable. When you do a Spartan race, it’s kind of like living that same experience. You don’t know if you can finish, or how you can make it. Our kids have a lot of challenges to overcome, but they never give up.”
The Shriners Hospital for Children located in Montreal is the only Canadian facility in the Shriners hospital network. The hospital specializes in treatment and rehabilitation for infants, children and young adults with orthopaedic and neuromuscular problems such as scoliosis, osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), club feet, hip dysplasia, leg length discrepancies and cerebral palsy.
“The attitude of our staff is, if you can’t do something the same way everyone else does it, we’ll find the way you can do it,” said Rondeau.
So when Rondeau and other staff from the Shriners hospital see their patients competing in a really tough Spartan race, it’s inspiring.
“There’s an incredible sense of pride, not just because they’re our patients, but because they are proud of themselves,” said Rondeau, adding she’s seen Shriners patients working together in the race to help each other through obstacles.
“That spirit of collaboration is amazing to see and witness … it’s part of Spartan and it’s something we teach and instill in our patients.”
To support the Shriners Hospital or donate to Beausoleil’s campaign, click here. For more information on Spartan races and the event at Highlands Nordic Centre in Duntroon this weekend, click here.
