It's been 36 years since 21-year-old Terry Fox dipped his primitive prosthetic leg into the Atlantic at St. John's, N.L. His goal: raise a dollar for each of Canada's 24 million people. His plan was to finish his Marathon of Hope in his home province on the Pacific shores at Vancouver.
Bone cancer robbed Terry of his right leg at 17. It spread to his lungs and took his life at 22.
He set out without publicity or fanfare awkwardly hop-stepping a painful marathon-a-day. He was followed by a tiny entourage of family and friends in a cramped Ford Econoline van that offered housing, rehabilitation, nutrition and rehydration.
Long before Twitter and Facebook, publicity was limited to the whims of traditional media. It took a while for the press and public to embrace Terry's worthwhile cause.
Every year since the first Terry Fox Run, Olds residents have participated. We've walked, run, cycled and in-line skated in all kinds of weather, from snow and cold to hot and humid.
From its quiet start Terry's Marathon of Hope has evolved into the world's largest one-day cancer fundraiser, involving millions of participants in more than 60 countries, raising more than $650 million to date.
In 1980, prosthetics offered heft, irritability and inflexibility. Terry's artificial leg was not designed to run a marathon-a-day for 143 days, a feat Terry completed before cancer claimed him. His amputated stump was blistered, bruised and left him in agonizing pain. He said the first 20 minutes were the worst until he broke through the pain.
Cancer took his life, but his dream remains. On Sept. 18, people from around the world will participate. There are nearly 10,000 Terry Fox Events. Each year we're trying to continue Terry's dream of a cure.
Terry Fox's life and foundation mean a lot to me. Perhaps its simplicity and integrity mean the most: There's no entry fee, no minimum pledge, no sponsorships or advertising, it's non-competitive, and 84 cents of each dollar is used to fund cancer research.
This will be my 22nd year of participation. I encourage others to participate or at least pledge.
Olds firefighters Noel D'Arcy and Justin Andrew are co-organizers of this year's event.
The annual Terry Fox Marathon of Hope in Olds takes place this Sunday, Sept. 18, rain or shine, starting and finishing at Centennial Park. Registration is at 10 a.m. The run starts at 11 a.m.
"Terry Fox's life and foundation mean a lot to me. Perhaps its simplicity and integrity mean the most: There's no entry fee, no minimum pledge, no sponsorships or advertising, it's non-competitive, and 84 cents of each dollar is used to fund cancer research."MURRAY ELLIOTTPUBLISHER OLDS ALBERTAN
