Timmins man with autism uses exercise to challenge himself and help others
For the past couple of years, Michael Thoerner of Timmins has been on a path to learn new ways of improving his health and general well-being.
He said he started off by doing Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) yoga.
"That then helped me get into doing spin classes and my first spin class I did it at Discover Fitness," Thoerner said.
He gives thanks to his coaches at Discover Fitness/Discover Performance for helping him lose about 140 pounds in two and a half years.
"Michael is a gem to train; always very receptive. He always works hard. I love seeing his stats at the end of a class. He’s always sharing his progress. He’s been very transparent when it comes to his weight loss journey," coach Lisa Tremblay said.
Thoerner is now on to new goals. He'll be participating in the Great Cycle Challenge and he's not letting a recent diagnosis of Autism Disorder and ADHD stand in his way.
"All of that has led to my anxiety, hypervigilance, things like that so it’s very hard for me to get out on my bike and just get out in general. So that’s why this is another good challenge for me to kind of push myself to get out," Thoerner said.
Throughout the month of August, he plans to rack up 100 kilometres on his bike and collect money for the Sick Kids Foundation.
"My mum died of cancer in 1998 so I thought a good way to actually honour her was something that would help the kids that are fighting cancer," he said.
Those who know him, said they're not surprised by Thoerner's new mission and know he'll accomplish it.
“What’s inspiring about Michael is he’s living proof of no matter happens, anything is possible," Tremblay said.
Thoerner is one of more than 10,000 riders in the national challenge who've already collectively raised more than a million dollars to fight kids' cancer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.