Montrealer cycles 1,200 km to support survivors of conjugal violence

On Saturday, Marie-Sophie L'Heureux and her bike arrived at "le bout du monde" — also known as land's end — where a sign in Forillon National Park marks the eastern tip of the Gaspé Peninsula and looks out toward the Atlantic Ocean.

L'Heureux set out from Montreal on July 26 and pedaled 1,200 km over 13 days, mixing in two days to rest. She dubbed her trip Le Grand Départ or the Great Departure, and her goal was to empower victims of intimate partner violence and raise money for SOS violence conjugale — Quebec's support line for domestic violence.

This year, 14 women in Quebec have been killed in suspected cases of intimate partner violence, and the province has committed millions of dollars over the next five years to support women's shelters and organizations that work with victims.

L'Heureux says she was introduced to cycling by an abusive ex-partner, but the challenges, rewards and time spent alone practicing the sport have become a sort of therapy for her. She says it's important for vulnerable women to know there's always a way out.

"You bend yourself in all sorts of ways to make the relationship function and it doesn't work," she said, the day before embarking on her journey.

"You really go to the end of yourself and for me, going to the bout du monde sign...it was a natural fit."

"I'm gonna go to Gaspé by bike but I'm not gonna go only to Gaspé, I'm gonna go to that damn sign."

L'Heureux raised just over $54,000, including $15,000 that will cover the cost of documenting her trip and producing a film about it.

"The film is really about showing people the resilience and the situation after conjugal violence," she said.

"We often talk about denouncing [violence] but we don't often talk about what happens after, when people are able to get out and things are going better."

L'Heureux says she also wanted to give back to the organization that supported her when she needed it. She says one of her family members calling the SOS violence conjugal helpline a few years ago kickstarted the process of leaving an abusive situation, finding support and eventually getting back on her feet.

"It affects a lot more people than we think," she said. "I told myself that if I'm going to do this ritual for myself, I'm also going to give back to the people that gave to me."

"I touched the bottom of the barrel and I really thought I'd never get out. But I did get out and I'm not just surviving, I'm living."

If you are affected by domestic violence, SOS violence conjugale is a provincewide toll-free crisis line, available 24/7. You can reach them at 1-800-363-9010 by phone, or via text at 438-601-1211