‘He just wanted to keep going despite the pain, despite people telling him to slow down,’ says participant who also uses prosthetic legs
Although the Terry Fox Run is all about raising funds for cancer research, reaching the $1 billion mark this year, he also acts as an inspiration to those with disabilities.
One of those people is Megan Stuckey, who, like Fox, uses prosthetics. In her case, she has two prosthetic legs because she was born with limb differences.
Fox lost his leg to cancer, and famously attempted to run across Canada in 1980 on an off-the-shelf prosthetic leg to raise money for cancer research.
He was forced to abort his run in Thunder Bay after his cancer spread. Passing away in 1981 at the age of 22, Fox has become a national hero. His legacy continues with the Terry Fox Run, now in its 46th year, and Stuckey was one of those in attendance at Sudbury’s event on Sept. 20.
Speaking to Sudbury.com while walking in Bell Park as part of the event, Stuckey said she was there representing a group called Ability in Motion Sudbury, which promotes para sports.
Megan Stuckey and Martin Rheaume took part in the 46th annual Sudbury Terry Fox Run on Sept. 20, 2026. Heidi Ulrichsen/Sudbury.com
She said it means a lot that one of our “great Canadian heroes” is someone who was missing a leg, that a person with such a visible disability was trying to help humanity.
But she also admires Fox for the same reasons as everyone else – he was so passionate and determined.
“He just wanted to keep going despite the pain, despite people telling him to slow down, despite people saying you’re hurting yourself or you can’t keep doing this,” Stuckey said.
“He just kept going. I drive up to Thunder Bay a lot for work, and I get to pass the monument of Terry Fox, and so I stop there every year to take a look at it and just remember that that’s how far he went.”
Sudbury Terry Fox Run organizer Frances Summerhill, who was honoured at the event for her 40 years of service to the runs both in Toronto and then in Sudbury, said Fox’s story teaches many lessons.
Those include “courage, commitment and dedication,” she said. “But also, so many of us are impacted by cancer. Two out of five Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer this year.”
Sudbury Terry Fox Run co-ordinator Frances Summerhill gets flowers and a hug in honour of her 40 years of service at the event Sept. 20, 2026. Heidi Ulrichsen/Sudbury.com
Although 45 years have passed since the young man died, Summerhill said he remains relevant.
A documentary called “Run Terry Run” about Fox’s story screened at Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival Sept. 19, the evening before the Terry Fox Run. “It was wonderful, and it was very well attended,” Summerhill said.
Canadian musician Bryan Adams also just came out with a new song called “The Ballad of Terry Fox.” Summerhill said she was also at the recent Adams concert in Sudbury, where he performed the tune.
That song ends with ‘He ran for everybody, he ran for me and you,’” she said. “Beautiful.”
Summerhill said the Sudbury Terry Fox Run organizers hoped to raise around $60,000 for cancer research on Sunday, with hundreds of people taking part.
The top individual fundraiser for the local event was Holly Tezlaff, who said she has raised $31,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
She said she’s been doing the Terry Fox Run since she was in a stroller, and her goal to never miss a run began, even when she broke four bones in her foot, “so I had my parents once again push me in a stroller.”
Inspired by Fox, she decided to go into the field of prosthetics and orthotics.
“I first shadowed in the field in Grade 10, using my PA days and my March breaks to spend more time in clinics,” Tezlaff said.
“In 2022, after my undergrad degree in kinesiology, which is the same as Terry Fox. I was accepted into the technical program at George Brown College, and then in 2023, I was just one of eight students across Canada that was accepted into the clinical program for prosthetics and orthotics.
“Now that journey eventually brought me here to Sudbury Prosthetic and Orthotic design, where I now get to work with patients, fabricate devices and work alongside a really incredible team to help people with their mobility, independence and accomplishing their own dreams.”
She said attending the 46th annual Terry Fox Run, and her personal 27th Terry Fox Run, is “incredibly special” because of “friends, family, and community members who supported me all these years.”
“If there’s one thing that you take away from my story today, it’s Terry’s words that have meant so much to me – that dreams are made possible if you try,” Tezlaff said. “I hope you all have a beautiful run today.”
Heidi Ulrichsen is a reporter with Sudbury.com.