One Canadian’s courageous run continues to inspire people across the country nearly four decades later.
More than 750 Terry Fox Runs are being held across Canada Sunday, including 79 in Alberta. This year, the province is declaring September 16th as Terry Fox Day in Alberta.
It’s been 38 years since Fox ended his Marathon of Hope, after running on an artificial leg for 143 days and 5,373 kilometres. The inaugural Terry Fox Run was organized the following year, and the story of Terry’s run has inspired runs in more than 30 countries around the world.
Edmonton run organizer Darrin Park tells Global News the rain and snow isn’t stopping people from showing up. He says there were lineups half an hour before registration opened at Kinsmen Park, and they’re hoping 1,500 people take part in this year’s run in Edmonton.
For Darrin, the Terry Fox Run is much more than a run.
WATCH: Veteran Terry Fox Run organizer gets first chance to join runners
Darrin says he has an extremely rare, incurable brain tumour, and two parts of his treatment were developed through research funded by the Terry Fox Foundation.
“I was supposed to live maybe 11 months if I was lucky. It’s been six years. And it’s because…people give, and critical research is being done.”
More than $700 million has been raised through the foundation for cancer research.
Schools across the country also hold their own runs, and Darrin is confident future generations are being inspired by Terry’s story.
“I have watched kids when I go and speak at schools,” Darrin said. “I just show a clip of him running, and they just sit and watch in awe.”
Darrin hopes there is a brighter future for the many Canadians diagnosed with cancer each year.
“The word is the technology is there, science is going to catch up in the next generation, we’re going to see vast improvements fighting a lot of diseases, and I think cancer is going to be one of them.”
You can find out more about the Terry Fox Foundation or donate here.
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