Residents in Cadillac and the surrounding communities may have seen a man racing up and down the roads on his handcycle the last few months.
"The first year I was the first time I was here last year the people was wondering who is this guy on this train bicycle with the three wheels?" said Fred Lacroix. "We know he has a wheelchair, he's disabled, who is this one? And today everybody knows me here, it's really fantastic."
The native of French Alps has been camping in Cadillac each of the last two summers training for a 24-hour race in California this November.
"I saw on the maps, the roads were pretty flat," Lacroix said. "Except the one going to Val Marie. It was nice to have different kind of training. The elevation of this place is a little bit higher than the place for the race, so it's good for the training too. The campground is really beautiful the people here are wonderful."
Lacroix is training for the 6-12-24 Hour World Time Trial Championships held annually in Borrego Springs, California.
He finished in first place in the men's 60-69 handcycle class in 2024.
While training, the 65-year-old goes at least 70 to 75 kilometers a day. It's a passion that came to him when he first became disabled.
"When you arrive in the disability, especially in the wheelchair, it's not a turn in your life. It's another," Lacroix said. "It's a new life. You have to learn everything. I was a helicopter pilot. So, I understood my job is finished. I had to find something to do. If I cannot find something to do, I will turn crazy or something like that. So, I found the sport."
Lacroix spent 2017-2022 doing wheelchair racing before shifting to the handcycle. He found building the arm strength allowed him to become more autonomous.
He anticipates only racing one or two more years. That could mean a return to Cadillac next summer.
Lacroix has appreciated the support of the community, including offers of regular rides to the grocery store.
"It's really fantastic," he said. "People here are very, very kind. On the road, the drivers, the truckers, they are very, very respectful with me. When I was to speaking with a kid in the school, almost all the kids knew me because they saw me when they were in the car with their parents."
He was invited recently to speak at École Boreale in Ponteix.
"All the kids, even the small kids, they had a very, very good questions, very interesting questions," Lacroix said. "It was very nice."
Now Lacroix starts his journey to California with some new supporters cheering him on.