Inside Canada Spotlight: Terry Fox

Celebrating Canada is never complete without celebrating some of the people who make up our culture and history and none have done this so complete as Terry Fox. We as Canadians are a vast country with a wide range of values and tradition. This variety – a multicultural quilt of stories – is something that we are proud of; we celebrate our differences, yet, if there is one thing, despite all these differences, that we can agree on it is this: Terry Fox is a national symbol – a hero who’s determination is an inspiration to us all. From a young age, our children are all taught the now familiar story of Terry Fox’s initial diagnosis of cancer, that ultimately lead to the removal of his leg and became the inspiration for his Marathon of Hope – a run from Newfoundland to British Columbia in order to bring awareness to cancer research. While we now know that Terry, unfortunately, made it no further than Thunder Bay, his legacy has lived on within the hearts of Canadians who honour his run every year in September. While the early end of his Marathon of Hope has become the official time of year in which we stop to think about Terry Fox and his unbelievable drive to bring the countries attention to a matter that was important to not just him but the millions of people who have been effected by cancer, this April 12^th marked the 40^th anniversary of the start of this famous trek of inspiration. Which is exactly why we here at Inside Fitness, wanted to take a moment – in this our Motivation issue – to remind us all of a Canadian who truly embodied what it means to push yourself in order to achieve the goals that are important to you. Although we often think of cancer, and the Marathon of Hope when the name Terry Fox is passed about, he was an exceptional athlete in his own right, full of drive and determination to succeed regardless of the obstacles ahead of him. As a youth in British Columbia, he pushed himself to simply make the school basketball team in middle school, as it was a passion of his. With an endless determination, and a wealth of practice, through his years he moved from reserve, to starting position until he was named Athlete of the Year (a title he shared with a friend) in his Grade 12 year. When cancer removed his leg, he did not give up – he was invited to join a wheel chair basketball league where he saw great successes as well. It was in Terry Fox’s blood to push himself – and the success that comes from that is evident in his memory. So, whatever you are doing in your life, whatever hardships face you and challenges that you must overcome, whether it’s in life, business, or fitness, remember the passion and determination shown to us by Terry Fox, pushing himself each day with a artificial leg that caused him strain to run on because it was about something that was important to him. Something that, 40 years later, we haven’t forgotten. It’s that determination that inspired the nation at the time and it’s that determination that inspires us still. So be a little more like Terry Fox and push yourself beyond your limits! Reach for that goal, no matter how far away it seems, and know in your heart that you’re going to get it – Be like Terry Fox, and you’ll always win.