Run, Terry, Run ..a film review, by Fouad Kronfol

Tomorrow we celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving and there was no better way to do so than watching a wonderful documentary film on the incredible story of the young Terry Fox who in 1980 embarked on a project to run across all of this huge country from east to west while having been amputed from one leg because of cancer. 

Terry's objective was to collect funds for cancer research and he did so with astonishing humility and extraordinary physical effort. Running on one leg and a prosthesis on the other he covered around one marathon per day ,some 20 plus miles, for 143 days starting in the eastern province of Newfoundland and winding his way until the west of Ontario with Vancouver being his aim to reach. 
Starting with little or no fanfare he and a small team of friends who accompanied him on this journey gradually sttracted more interest and publicity as the run proceeded. The difficulties were many, but he persisted and soon his exploits became a national event with government and the public increasingly paying attention to his noble pursuit. He had aimed at collecting one million dollars but by the end the tally reached $25 million. The film announced that the latest figure of moneys collected by the Terry Fox run for cancer research had reached one Billion dollars. 
Terry became a national icon but remained a humble young lad doing what he could to help others affected by cancer.The film brought to life the many obstacles he had to face running on highways in all kinds of weather and subsisting with little. The boy’s charms and good looks obviously helped his cause and the run became an iconic event in Canadian history. 
The story ends sadly, unfortunately, as his cancer resurfaced and spread to his lungs as he reached the western part of Ontario where he had to abandon the run and be hospitalized. He passed away a few months later. It is a film that is unforgettable for its simplicity and humanity. One cannot see it without being moved a lot, and both Nadia and I had tears at the conclusion. Well worth seeing by all XUNICEF members.