Staying Focused

Certainly, the story of Canadian athlete Terry Fox is a prime example of the power of focusing on pre-determined goals. His story also highlights an outstanding ability to make course corrections in light of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. As a young man, Terry was struck by bone cancer; he had to have his right leg amputated six inches above the knee. His experience inspired him to create the Marathon of Hope to raise awareness and money for cancer research.

In 1980, Terry began his cross-Canada run, from the East Coast to the West Coast of this huge country. Despite having only one leg, he averaged over 26 miles per day for 143 days. Halfway across Canada, with 3,300 miles behind him, Terry was forced to stop the run. The cancer had spread to his lungs.

“I was doing what I wanted,” he said, “and a dream was coming true, and that, above everything else, made it all worthwhile to me. Even though it was so difficult, there was not another thing in the world I would have rather been doing. I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.”

Though he didn’t survive to see the results of his run, 25 years later his Marathon of Hope has raised over $270 million and his legacy continues.

Excerpt from 'LifeManual' by Peter H. Thomas. www.lifemanual.com. Copyright 2005, 2006. All rights reserved.

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