This Monday, August 7th Manitobans will be celebrating Terry Fox’s courage, tenacity and his ability to inspire hope in people around the world. Terry was born in Winnipeg on July 28th, 1958 and was diagnosed with bone cancer when he was 18 years old. At the age of 19 he had his right leg amputated 15 centimeters above the knee. Terry never forgot his experience in the hospital and was angry at how little money was spent on cancer research in Canada. He turned his anger into a mission and in 1980 would launch a run across the country to raise both awareness and money in his fight against cancer.
Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope began on April 12, 1980, when Terry dipped his right leg in the Atlantic Ocean near St. John’s and filled two large bottles with ocean water. He intended to keep one as a souvenir and pour the other into the Pacific Ocean upon completing his journey at Victoria, B.C. He ran about 40-50 kilometres each day, never stopping due to the weather; freezing rain, high winds, even snow. After running a day, every day for three months, Terry was forced to stop in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Cancer had spread to his lungs and despite receiving treatments of chemotherapy and interferon, he died on June 28, 1981 at the age of 22, having become the youngest person ever to be awarded the Order of Canada.
This year marks the 37th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Here in Manitoba, the first Monday in every August has been designated as Terry Fox Day, a civic holiday. Terry raised $24 million for cancer research in 1980 and has built a national awareness for the cause he ran for. In over 9,000 communities and schools, an annual run is held in his memory across Canada, raising more than $700 million since then for cancer research. Some of the incredible advances that have been made due to this funding include; advances in imaging technology used worldwide, increased life expectancy for men with advanced stage prostate cancer, the discovery of a new mutation that may lead to new treatments for lymphoma, and advances in early screening techniques that could potentially improve survival rates from lung cancer.
Terry Fox and his incredible journey holds a very special place in my heart. To see such a young man look into the face of such incredible odds and make the conscious choice to do something constructive for the benefit of others, is a very powerful message. I hope that on August 7th, all Manitobans can take a moment to reflect on Terry’s life and the legacy he has left: anything is possible if you try.
