The Best $20 Ever Spent: My 20 Steps with Terry Fox

Some moments stay with you for a lifetime. For me, one of those moments was taking 20 steps with Terry Fox.

I was a young girl on summer vacation with my family when we had the incredible opportunity to meet Terry during his Marathon of Hope.

At the time, I was recovering from a cycling accident that had caused a significant injury to my leg. Perhaps that was why Terry took an interest in me. Here was this young man undertaking an almost unimaginable journey across Canada, running a marathon every day on one leg, yet he took the time to notice a young girl and ask about her injured leg.

I have never forgotten that.

My family donated $20, and I had the opportunity to take 20 steps alongside Terry. Looking back, I often think of it as the best $20 ever spent.

As a child, I couldn't have fully understood the magnitude of what Terry was attempting or the legacy he would leave behind. But I understood something about him that day: he cared about people. Despite everything he was going through and everything he was trying to accomplish, he made time for someone else.

That brief encounter had a lasting impact on me and helped shape the person I would become.

Carrying Terry's Legacy Forward in Newmarket

Decades later, Terry's example of determination, compassion and service to others continues to influence me. It is also why being part of the Newmarket Terry Fox Run Committee is so personally meaningful.

Every year, our community comes together to continue what Terry started in 1980. Families, volunteers, cancer survivors and residents walk, run and raise funds for cancer research. Behind every participant is a reason for being there, someone they love, someone they have lost, or simply the belief that together we can make a difference.

For our Newmarket Terry Fox Run family, one of those people is Robin Williamson.

Robin was a beloved teacher at Terry Fox Public School and a tremendous supporter, volunteer and organizer of the Newmarket Terry Fox Run. She gave so much of herself to keeping Terry's dream alive in our community.

Tragically, we lost Robin to cancer.

Her loss was deeply felt by the people who knew her, the school community and our Terry Fox Run family. Today, when our team “Robin's Sidekicks” runs, we run for Robin too.

Robin believed in Terry's dream, and so do we: that one day, through research, determination and the collective efforts of communities across Canada, we will find a cure for cancer.

Twenty Steps That Have Lasted a Lifetime

Community service has been an important part of my life, both as a resident and as a Councillor. I believe leadership isn't only about what happens around the Council table. It's about showing up, volunteering, listening, helping people and contributing to the community you are fortunate enough to serve.

Terry demonstrated that lesson to me long before I could have put it into words.

I only walked 20 steps with Terry Fox, but those steps have stayed with me for a lifetime.

Today, I have the privilege of continuing that journey alongside an incredible team of Newmarket volunteers and residents, and in memory of people like Robin who remind us exactly why this work matters.

More than four decades later, Terry is still bringing Canadians together, still inspiring us to care for one another and still reminding us that one person really can make a difference.

Twenty steps. Twenty dollars. One childhood memory that helped shape a lifetime of community service.

And today, we keep taking those steps, for Terry, for Robin, and for every family touched by cancer.

Join Us Sunday September 20th, 2026!

You can be part of Terry's Marathon of Hope by joining the Newmarket Terry Fox Run. Register today, start fundraising, bring your family and friends, and help us continue Terry's dream.

Together, we run with the same hope Terry carried across Canada: that one day we will find a cure for cancer.

For Terry. For Robin. For a Cure.