It is hard to believe that it will be 35 years since a one-legged lad from Port Coquitlam started an international movement.
Terry Fox has become a symbol of everything Canadians cherish: a quiet, humble guy who just puts his head down and gets the job done. A guy who, when facing a traumatic change in his life, thought not of how he would adapt but of how he would help others. He wasn’t someone who sought the centre stage. Not someone who thought of future movies and book deals. He simply thought he could run across Canada and raise some money to fight cancer. Not a simple goal by any measure, but certainly a principled one.
Others have written about what research would not have been possible if not for Terry’s foundation and example. If Terry had not pulled his Marathon of Hope together, we would all be the poorer for it. The simple fact is that he made a vast difference to cancer research, and that impacts us all. Whether you are stricken with cancer, or a family member or friend – no one has not been impacted in some way.
The financial impact that the continuing fundraising has had is dramatic. But it’s the individual human stories that still stop us in our tracks. On page 3 of today’s paper we highlight one such story.
Kerry Anne Holloway was eight when she travelled with Terry. His impact on her own goals, motivation and life is clear to see. The sacrifice that Terry was making was not lost on that little girl 35 years ago, and we know that there are thousands of other young people who were (and continue to be) inspired by Terry’s journey.
Average people and celebrities have all been inspired by Terry.
It was a hot September evening at then-GM Place a few years back when Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder talked about Fox.
He said as a teen in California, Fox was one of the first people that made him realize even as a kid, he could make a difference.
He then announced a $20,000 donation to the Terry Fox Foundation, much to the delight of the sold-out crowd.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, lace up your running shoes and go to Burnaby’s Swangard Stadium. Registration is at 9 a.m., with the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. You don’t have to be an athlete to enter. Routes are from two to 10 kilometres, wheelchair accessible and open to bikes and strollers. There’ll be entertainment on site.
It’s not too late to get inspired by the young man whose dream became a reality.
