25 Years Later, And Still Running

Today many people from across Canada and around the world participated in the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope run for cancer reasearch. This is a run held every year in late September in commemeration of Terry Fox. Fox was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 18, and lost his right knee because of it. While in the cancer ward of the hospital, he was struck by the suffering of the children that he witnessed, and decided to run across Canada to collect donations for cancer research. He started his run on April 12, 1980 in St. John's, Newfoundland. Aside from raising the profile of the need for cancer research, he was also an inspiration; someone people could believe in. Unfortunately, he never made it. On September 1st of that year, outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario, he learned that the cancer had spread to his lungs, and despite the treatment, the cancer took his life on June 28 1981, at the age of 22. Yet, every year, in late September, people still take to the streets to raise money for cancer research.

Last Fall, the CBC held the Greatest Canadian contest, in which Terry Fox came in second. Fox, however, was my top choice. He was a man who had big dreams, and many obstacles placed in his path. Yet, he went out to fulfill his dreams, and never allowed the obstacles to stop him. This is especially remarkable because of the obstacles placed in front of him and the numbers of people who allow themselves to be held back. Even though he never completed the run he had hoped, he was a good example of perseverance through adversity, a legacy which still lives on after 25 years.