John's excellent adventures: Winnipegger runs marathons, rappels down buildings to help kids in need

John Wichers has cycled thousands of kilometres, run dozens of marathons and rappelled down one of Manitoba's tallest buildings — often for charity — and he has no plans to slow down in life, even as he approaches his 80s.

The 79-year-old grandfather from Winnipeg is dedicated to living an active lifestyle and helping children with disabilities and their families. Over the years, he's used his athletic ability to raise an estimated $45,000 for children's charities alone, including the Children's Rehabilitation Foundation of Manitoba.

"I don't consider myself a hero. I just love people. I'm a people person, and my life is kids," he said in an interview.

Wichers is among those nominated for CBC Manitoba's #IamMB project, which is sharing the stories of people who have shaped our province's past, lead us in the present or will create our future. You can make your own nominations here right now.

Wichers has been nominated for initiatives like John's Excellent Bike Adventure. In the summer of 2015, at the age of 78, he rode his bicycle more than 2,400 kilometres from Vancouver to Winnipeg.

The trip raised almost $33,000 for the Children's Rehabilitation Foundation — where he had worked for  more than 16 years, first as a technician modifying bicycles, wheelchairs and other equipment, and eventually as director of mechanical design and services. The money raised was used to purchase customized bikes for children with mobility issues.

"At the centre, we often put on heavy-duty training wheels but that just didn't meet the needs [of] the children, so to get a bike like that would cost about $3,000 to $6,000, depending on what's on it," he said.

"These people never would get the funding on their own, and there is no bigger joy than to see a child on a bike … You look at their faces and they're exuberant, as [if] to say, 'I'm biking, I'm biking, like everybody else.'"

Running to Thompson — and back

Wichers's long-distance endeavours haven't been limited to cycling. By the time an injury took him out of competitive running five years ago, he had completed 25 full marathons, 83 half-marathons and upwards of 140 other races. He was inducted into the Manitoba Running Association's hall of fame in 2008.

The achievements are impressive, given Wichers only discovered running when he was 47.

"I just happened to come upon the Manitoba Marathon, which I didn't know anything about, on Father's Day about 33 years ago and I thought it was really interesting to see these people struggle the last three miles — because I spotted them at St. Vital Park — and I thought, 'Man, that's got to be pretty challenging,'" he recalled.

"I'm always the person that needs a challenge to function properly," he said. "I can't have just a normal, regular life, you know?"

His love for running grew beyond marathons. In 1999, he was part of a seniors' running group that completed an 800-kilometre relay from Winnipeg to Thompson to raise over $11,000 for the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities.

Then in 2002, he ran and cycled from Thompson to Winnipeg by himself, raising about $13,000 for the Children's Rehabilitation Foundation.

So how has he managed to stay in shape all these years? Wichers said it certainly helps to have had a physically demanding career.

"I worked for a good part of my life on construction, putting up steel and welding, so that's a workout every day on its own," he said.

But even as he prepares to celebrate his 80th birthday this fall, Wichers said he's staying active. He runs recreationally several times a week these days, and he hops on his bike when the weather permits. He also runs with students at a local school.

He also hopes to repeat another "bucket list" item he crossed off recently: rappelling off the top of the Manitoba Hydro building as part of the Easter Seals Drop Zone, another fundraiser for SMD. He did it for the first time in August 2016.

On heroes and advice for next generations

While Wichers said he does not consider himself a hero, the people he considers heroes were the reason he moved from the Netherlands, where he was raised, to Canada after the Second World War.

"I was a person that needed an adventure from time to time, so I was just 19 when I came to Canada, to Winnipeg directly," he said.

"I picked Canada because I always was interested in history and the recent history was the Second World War," he added.

"We were mostly liberated by the Canadian soldiers and I read up a lot on that, and I really wanted to see where our heroes came from."

So what advice does he have for current and future generations? Wichers refers to advice he's given while talking at schools.

"I always tell the kids to give back," he said. "It makes you feel good and you do something that's worthwhile."