A small but passionate group of supporters came together for the return of the annual Terry Fox Run at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park.
“One of the things that Terry Fox said was, no one is going to call me a quitter and I can't imagine there's a person on the planet that does, so that’s what is inspiring the walk today,” said Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond, at the start of the run.
“Today is about keeping Terry's dream alive and when I stop and think about what it was like day after day after day, running in pain with that gait that all of us are so familiar with — now when we see those images, it touches our hearts. Today, around the world in fact, people are going to keep Terry's dream alive and so are we here in Prince George.”
The 2022 Terry Fox Run marked a return of the first in-person event since 2019, due to COVID-19 challenges.
“Let's remember Terry taught us about courage, and about determination and about inspiration. So, as we walk together, let's remember Terry, and let's remember no one is going to call me a quitter. And certainly, the city of Prince George is never going to give up on Terry's dreams,” added Bond.
The event included a roughly two-kilometre loop around Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park, a free yoga class at noon and local food vendors on site.
When Terry Fox was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at 18, the experience ignited in him a fierce determination to bring an end to the suffering cancer causes. So, on April 12, 1980, Terry dipped his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean and set out to do the impossible: run across Canada, one marathon a day, in pursuit of his dream to find a cure for cancer.
With fierce determination and hope, Terry completed an average of 42 km each day, every day for 143 days. He ran a total of 5,373 km.
Terry’s determination has also inspired local fundraiser Jim Terrion, who has dedicated his life to raising money for the Terry Fox Foundation.
Terrion has been raising money for the Terry Fox Foundation for over 31 years and hopes to reach the $1 million mark by summer of 2024 – and he’s already raised over $843,890.
Terrion also planned to walk 42 kilometres for the annual run, representing one kilometre for every year of the Terry Fox Run.
Anyone who feels compelled to support Terrion achieve his goal can also donate through his online fundraising page.
