Ontario officer begins ‘Autism Heroes Road Trip’

York Regional Police Constable Adam McEachern with members of the Windsor Police Service, April 30, 2026.(Rob Hindi/AM800)

An officer with York Regional Police has started his journey to Ottawa.

Constable Adam McEachern is running and cycling to the nation’s capital, raising awareness and support for neurodiverse children and their families.

He started his 18-day journey, “Autism Heroes Road Trip,” Thursday morning in Windsor in front of police headquarters at the corner of Goyeau Street and Chatham Street East.

Constable McEachern says he’s doing this journey for his two sons who are on the spectrum.

“They’re my why,” says McEachern. “I always say that if I wasn’t here, I’d want somebody to do it for my kids. I want somebody to go out and advocate for them, but because I can, I do.

He says this is his fifth endurance event dating back to 2020.

“We’ve already raised $100,000 from the previous events,” he says. “This is more about the awareness; donations are always awesome, but the awareness of what people on the spectrum and families on the spectrum go through, their wait times.”

York Regional Police Constable Adam McEachern in Windsor before he starts his “Autism Heroes Road Trip,” April 30, 2026. Rob Hindi/AM800

McEachern says his journey will stop at the Terry Fox Memorial in Ottawa.

“This all started from a conversation I had with my son Caleb when he was very young and his obsession with Terry Fox and his run, and that one conversation painted me and it created all this,” says McEachern.

He says his sons will be meeting him in Ottawa.

“We’re also stopping in my hometown, Alliston, Ontario; they’re holding a large reception there,” he says. “I’ve already talked to them this morning; they miss me tons. They’re the reason I do it.”

The journey is roughly 1,000 kilometres from Windsor to Ottawa.

The 52-year-old dad says for the first few days he will be travelling about 75 kilometres per day and will then drop down to 52 kilometres.

McEachern says he’ll be on the road from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

He says for the last eight months, he’s been training an average of 40 to 60 kilometres of cardio each day.

Money raised from this year’s journey supports Kerry’s Place Autism Services.