Pierre Lavoie Becomes VanLife Campers Ambassador

Discover Pierre Lavoie

In 1997, at the age of 34, Pierre lost his daughter Laurie to lactic acidosis, a rare hereditary disease particularly present in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. In 2000, his son Raphaël also passed away from the same condition.

“Losing a child feels like falling endlessly without ever hitting the ground. You lose all sense of direction and feel pain everywhere.”

When Raphaël was born in 1998, ten other children in the region were also born with lactic acidosis. Pierre realized he could no longer stand by. He dedicated himself to raising awareness and funding medical research.

Already a determined athlete, with several participations in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, he became a committed athlete with a cause.

In 1999, he launched the first Défi Pierre Lavoie in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (650 km of cycling in 24 hours), an achievement he repeated three times. His efforts helped fund a multidisciplinary research team at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. In 2003, the gene responsible for lactic acidosis was identified, and a screening test was developed, offering hope to future parents.

That same year, his meeting with Germain Thibault led to the creation of an ambitious project promoting healthy habits among children and the general population. Launched in 2008, the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie quickly became a major success.

Over the years, Pierre has taken on many roles—speaker, science communicator, spokesperson, and media personality—but remains, above all, a fierce competitor. In 2013, he completed his tenth Ironman in Hawaii, finishing second in his category. To date, he has won the competition three times.

Through his exceptional journey, he inspires others to overcome challenges with the right mindset. He embodies courage, resilience, and self-improvement.

Pierre Lavoie and VanLife Campers

VanLife Campers is proud to offer Pierre and his partner Lynne a NOHR van.

With so many inspiring and ambitious projects, vanlife will allow them to combine passion, freedom, and everyday challenges more easily.