Today is Terry Fox Day, a time to honour Terry and his legacy.
Terry grew up in Winnipeg alongside his three siblings, including his older brother, Fred.
"It was a competitive household. We were all very involved with sports and things like that. We were very active all the time," said Fred. "Whether it was a game of road hockey in front of the house or a game of Sorry in the house. It was very competitive. No one really liked to lose. It was also a house of discipline and doing things the right way. I think it guided us in a way that helped Terry along as well, setting many of the guidelines that he lived by."
When Terry received his cancer diagnosis at just 18 years old, it was a devastating time for the Fox household.
"Cancer is something Terry and I didn't really know anything about. People didn't talk about it in 1977. You didn't hear the word used very often," Fred explained. "It was a shocking diagnosis. He took it hard."
However, as time went on, Fred says it was Terry who kept his family positive. Just before he passed away in June of 1981, Terry made sure that his goal to find a cure for cancer and improve the outcomes of a cancer diagnosis would continue once he was gone.
In 2015, the province of Manitoba declared the first Monday in August Terry Fox Day.
"It's really cool to know that there is a holiday in Manitoba where our whole family was born," said Fred. Terry would be so proud. He was forced to stop his marathon of hope in Thunder Bay. The anticipation of arriving in Winnipeg and being in his home province was something he was really looking forward to, and unfortunately, that didn't happen."
Fred says that Terry Fox Day is another opportunity to continue what Terry started, but also a chance to think about how you can support the Terry Fox Run.
"Even though Terry was diagnosed with cancer at a young age, and then ran across Canada, a marathon every day for 143 days. As tough as that was, Terry lived by the words, 'Anything is possible if you try.' He would say that to anyone, whatever struggles they were going through, he would say that all the time."
For this year's Terry Fox Run, Fred plans to be in Winnipeg.
"It's going to be amazing to be back there for the run this year," said Fred. I'm looking forward to it."
The Terry Fox Run is an annual event that raises millions of dollars for cancer research by carrying on the tradition of Terry Fox’s original cross-Canada quest in 1980. All runs are fully organized by volunteers. The funds raised at the runs go directly to cancer research. To date, over $850 million has been raised, and 1,300 innovative cancer research projects have been funded.
"We thank everybody who has done what they can to keep Terry's dream alive," said Fred. "So many people have benefited from the funds that are raised for cancer research over the years, and it couldn't happen without so many people committing their time as a volunteer or making a donation to cancer research. We thank them and appreciate them so much."