April 12th, 1980, exactly thirty years ago. I was less than one year old when Terry Fox dipped his leg into the Atlantic before departing St John’s for his marathon of hope. I was too young to follow his journey, I didn’t watch his famous double hop-step every Kilometre on TV, and I don’t have the images of his youthful energy and passion entrenched in my psyche like so many Canadians.
But I remain in awe of him in more ways than one. As a runner who once spent seven months training for a single marathon, I am dumbfounded by what this 22 year old was able to accomplish every day for 143 days. As a public health advocate, I have seen how his legacy has left a pioneering mark on cancer research that will continue to help so many in need for generations. As a human, his spirit and story is as inspiring as any I have every heard.
In honour of this 30th anniversary, the Terry Fox foundation is planning remembrances on the every one of the 143 days that he ran. If you happen to have memories or reflections on Terry (including dates if possible!) please share them with the foundation at www.terryfox.org/shareyourstories.
If you don’t, then sometime between now and June, try and take a few minutes and google Terry, the marathon of hope and its continued legacy – and you just might learn that he has impacted you too.
-Bryan
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