Anything is possible, if you try.
Wherever you look these days, amazing people are running, walking, cycling, and doing triathlons to raise money to fight cancer. But, it wasn’t always like that. Thirty years ago, long before ultra running was even a sport and back when charitable events for cancer were mostly telethons and dances, a 21-year-old Canadian was running a marathon a day in an effort to run across Canada and raise money for cancer research. His name was Terry Fox and he did it in cotton shorts and a cotton shirt with simple iron-on letters that read: Marathon of Hope. More amazingly, he did it with an artificial leg of fiberglass and steel.
When Terry was just 18 years old, he was diagnosed with Osteogenic Sarcoma of his right knee. The night before his operation he saw an article about a man who finished the New York City Marathon and who wore an artificial leg. Inspired, Terry said if that man can run a marathon, maybe one day I will run. After a year and a half of chemotherapy, a year and a half in which he witnessed many other cancer patients die and suffer from the disease he was moved to do something to help end the suffering of cancer. He decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research that would lead to more advances that could save more lives. It was at that time that he said:
“SOMEWHERE THE HURTING MUST STOP AND I AM WILLING TO TAKE MYSELF TO THE LIMIT FOR THIS CAUSE“
Terry ran a marathon a day for 143 days. As Canada rallied to his cause and made him a national living hero, he easily hit his goal roughly 1,500 miles into his Marathon of Hope. But, he didn’t stop running and he didn’t stop trying to raise money. Terry upped his million dollar goal to $10 million. He started to wonder too, could he get just one dollar from every one of the 24 million Canadians at the time? “Anything is possible, if you try,” he once said in an interview about making it across Canada. Would $24 million be possible?
As Terry ran more money poured in as did the new cancerous cells in his body. Unwilling to quit, even to visit a doctor, Terry continued running a marathon a day not to mention speaking at many engagements rallying people to donate. Always quick to point out that he was doing what he loved and that he wasn’t in pain and that he truly loved running, the grind of his epic journey was unrelenting on his body. But he didn’t give up – anything is possible, if you try – was his motto.
After more than 3,339 miles. Terry finally reached his $10 million goal. Met by cheering fans wherever he went Terry was proud to have made a difference. On September 1, 1980, when he was two thirds of the way across Canada, Terry was forced to end his run due to the spread of cancer to his lungs. He climbed into the support van and asked to be taken to the hospital where the doctors would soon confirm the worst: His race was over but, in a tearful news conference, he urged others to continue donating money to support cancer research. One dollar for every Canadian. Anything is possible, if you try.
On June 28, 1981, Terry died surrounded by his family, only a few days short of his 23rd birthday. By the time he died, more than $24 million dollars – more than one dollar for every Canadian – had been donated to cancer research in his name. No one person had ever raised that much money for charity by running before. To date, more than $500 million has been donated world-wide to fund cancer research in Terry Fox’s name. What once was a dream by a young man stricken with cancer became the blueprint for fundraising today, an inspiration to all Canadians, and hopefully, an inspiration to you now, too.
Anything is possible, if you try.
To view footage of Terry Fox and to get inspired, visit http://archives.cbc.ca/sports/exploits/topics/1649/
