Terry Fox Run 🇨🇦🦿

Today is the day people all over Canada will run around their neighbourhoods, on beaches, in parks, across city streets and along country roads in memory of a true Canadian hero, Terry Fox.  

I first came across his name and his story on the Facebook page of Smiley, the blind therapy dog. Before Smiley sadly passed away in 2017 he and his Mam Joanne George visited various hospitals and care facilities providing comfort to elderly, ill and disabled adults and children and education in schools teaching kids to “see with their hearts”. Through Joanne’s posts I learned of Terry Fox as she would talk about herself and her family supporting their friend Glemena Bettencourt at her annual fundraising event. Joanne, her husband Darrin and son Shepherd, accompanied by Smiley and later Sunny, have all taken part in the Terry Fox Run over the years to raise awareness and money for the Terry Fox Foundation.

Terry was diagnosed with bone cancer in his right leg in 1977 and it was amputated 6 inches above the knee. While in hospital Terry saw the suffering of the other patients and he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He called his journey the Marathon of Hope and he began it in April 1980. He ran 26 miles every day for 143 days until he was forced to stop on 1st September 1980 as his cancer had returned. By February 1981 Terry’s dream of raising $1 for every Canadian was realised as his Marathon of Hope fund had reached $24 million. Terry died on 28th June 1981. To date over $800 million has been raised in Terry's name. 

I will be joining Glemena and the millions of other ‘Terry Foxers’ by doing the virtual Terry Fox Run at 2pm (9am Canada time). I will also be taking part in the Terry Fox Run UK on 2nd October. This year it is being held in Battersea Park but me and many others who can’t get to London are doing a virtual run. 

Terry said “anything is possible if you try”. I truly believe that. Life’s challenges can feel insurmountable at times but all you have to do is try.

🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦 #TryLikeTerry

30 years of friendship

30 years ago today I was a nervous 9 year old going back to school after the Summer holidays. I walked in to the classroom and met a new girl. She had just moved to the area and had changed schools so her first day in Year 5 was probably harder than anyone else’s but she didn’t show it. She was shy, quiet and studious and it took us a little while to get to know one another but we soon became friends. Her name was Claire. We left New York Primary School 2 years later and moved to Norham High School together and a few years later we both went to Tynemouth College. You might have expected us to go our separate ways after finishing our A Levels as Claire went to university to train to be a teacher and I got a job in an office but we stayed close. I’m so happy and lucky and proud and privileged and honoured to say that 30 years later Claire is still my best friend. She is the most amazing, courageous, resilient, brave, strong, determined, caring, kind, loving person and is truly beautiful inside and out. She has stuck by me through thick and thin and always supported me, listened to me, guided me, believed in me and accepted me for who I am. I am so grateful to her for being my friend and I love her more than words can say.