Terry Fox Run 2017
/Having a daughter who is under two years of age, we are always trying to find activities for us to do as a family that coincide with our beliefs, and as a way to show our child that there is a lot of good in this world. To us, Terry Fox and the foundation attached to his name, will always be one of the most important.
On Sunday, September 17th , at Stanley Park in Vancouver, I (Jesse), as the newest addition to the Barber staff (and my family), joined Barber Prosthetics and participated in the 37rd annual Terry Fox Run.
At 22 years old, Terry Fox was considered a hero. A hero from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. He set out to teach the world about cancer, but ended teaching the world so much more. He taught us that determination is greater than sickness, that will power far exceeds strength, that heart trumps ability, and that courage will always be stronger than cancer.
“Today we got up at 4:00 am. As usual, it was tough. If I died, I would die happy because I was doing what I wanted to do. How many people can say that? I went out and did fifteen push-ups in the road and took off. I want to set an example that will never be forgotten.”
The will to get up and run a marathon every day for 143 days is courage. The will to run 3,339 miles across 6 provinces is courage. The will to do all of this while using an above-knee prosthesis is beyond courageous.
“There can be no reason for me to stop. No matter what pain I suffer, it is nothing compared to the pain of those who have cancer, of those who endure treatment.”
Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at the age of 22. To date, over $750 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry’s name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.
Courage is defined as strength in the face of pain or grief. Terry Fox fully epitomizes this definition. It is also a characteristic we will strive to teach our daughter.