The latest Heritage Minute video honours Terry Fox, just in time for the 35th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope.
Released earlier this week, the one-minute clip shows what cancer research activist Terry Fox’s cross-country journey would have looked like when he started it in 1980. Fox is seen running aside long strips of highways, as Canadians holding signs of support cheer from the side.
In the video, Fox is played by actor Jay Hummonem, who was diagnosed at age 16 with osteogenic sarcoma, the same kind of bone cancer Fox suffered from. And like Fox, Hummonem also lost his leg to the disease.
In total, Fox ran more than 5,000 kilometres, making his way from St. John’s to Thunder Bay. After 143 days, on Sept. 1, 1981, Fox was forced to stop his running as the cancer was found inside his lungs. On June 28, 1981, Fox passed away at 22-years-old.
“I’m not special. Cancer happens to people all the time,” narrates Hummonem as Fox in the video. “I take one mile at a time, 26 miles a day. I want to set an example that will never be forgotten.”
And indeed, Fox has not been forgotten. Since 1981, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised more than $650-million for cancer research, and every year millions around the world participate in the Terry Fox Run in September.
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