Canadian hero persevered through all sorts of weather

Sunday, September 18, 2016, 6:54 AM - It was a frigid, wet and windy April morning when a young Canadian athlete started his Marathon of Hope in St. John's, N.L.

Fast forward 35 years later and it's hard to imagine Canada without Terry Fox's presence.

Fox lost his leg to bone cancer at the age of 19. Two years later, in 1980, he started his cross-country trek to raise money for cancer research. He ran for 143 days, through eastern Canada, Quebec and Ontario.

In his memory people in more than 40 countries take part in the annual Terry Fox Run with over $700 million raised world-wide. Thousands of runners across Canada will hit the road Sunday for the 36th annual Terry Fox Run.

"Terry Fox was such a humble man when he started running, he only hoped people would donate a dollar," said Martha McClew, Ontario provincial director of the Terry Fox Foundation. "It's incredible how much money has been raised since then. Canadians are the caretaker to his legacy to cancer research. It's a tribute to the man he was and what mattered to him the most."

Every year the goal is to raise a dollar more, added McClew.

"We do our best. It's a labour of love and we feel every dollar is awesome."

As Fox ran across the Maritimes, McClew describes the weather at the time was "unbelievable."

There were traces of snow in some places, sleet and heavy rain. Crossing through southwestern Ontario in July, Fox was greeted with a wave of heat and humidity.

"The remarkable athletic accomplishment of running a marathon everyday. It wasn't around a track in a climate-controlled stadium. It was on Canadian roads with crazy drivers, potholes and Canadian weather from east to west. He never stopped and certainly didn't let the weather stop him," McClew explained. "He didn't imagine anything would stop him. He didn't even think cancer would stop him."

It was in Ontario when the disease spread to his lungs and he was forced to end his run near Thunder Bay, on Sept. 1, 1980, after completing nearly 5,400 km. Fox died the following year on June 28, 1981.

Many Canadians salute the legend each year in September with the annual Terry Fox Run. Participants can walk, run or wheel five and 10 km routes. 

"We always say to people if Terry ran through snow, sleet and rain and did it for about 14 hours a day, it would mean the world to come out and just spend two hours running in memory of him. Pack an extra sweater or an umbrella. We know Canadians will do this because it matters so much," said McClew.

While most of Atlantic Canada and the eastern Prairies are on tap to see rain Sunday, McClew believes it is more meaningful for people to take an umbrella and trek through the conditions.

"I think it's a fantastic representation of the physical effort Terry went through."

For more information on the run, visit terryfox.org.

Related video: Terry Fox Marathon 35th Anniversary