Participating in the Terry Fox run was never in doubt for an Okotoks woman.
It was an obligation.
“I have to — for both Terrys,” said Robin Platz. “The Terry Fox Run was such a big part of my husband’s life. This is a way to honour my husband’s life at the same time.”
Platz and approximately 20 of her friends walked five kilometres at the Okotoks Terry Fox Run on Sunday in memory of her husband Terry Gardner, who passed away in March at the age of 50.
The Gardner contingent raised approximately $3,500 for the Terry Fox Run.
Since being diagnosed with cancer in 1985, Gardner participated in all but one of the Terry Fox Runs. Gardner was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma during his first year of university. It is similar to the cancer Fox had. Gardner passed away from an infection earlier this year.
“He (Gardner) did it for 26 years,” Platz said of the runs. “For Terry it was so personal for him. He never should have survived his cancer and he did. He had a three per cent chance of surviving and he did.
“When he had travelled with work or was overseas, he still did the Terry Fox Run, it was so very dear to his heart.”
Part of the Gardner contingent was his brother Jerry. He and Robin donned Chicago Cubs’ jerseys for the walk.
“Terry was a die-hard Cubs fan,” Jerry said, adding Terry was thrilled to finally see the Cubbies win the World Series last November.
Robin and Terry made more than one trek to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. After the Cubs’ won Robin flew the famed ‘W’ on their front yard for several weeks.
Much like the 2016 Cubs, adversity didn’t stop Gardner.
Gardner had hip replacement in 1987 due to complications from his cancer. He had the hip replaced again in 2012 due to wear-and-tear and a fall earlier in the year.
“He did the Terry Fox Run in September and then got the hip in November,” Platz said. “It wasn’t just the hip it was the pelvis and femur as well. It was a massive surgery.”
Gardner missed his first Terry Fox Run since 1987 last year because he was in the hospital.
“It was very emotional for him,” Platz said. “He still collected all his pledges and I turned them in for him. We walked with a group of friends and he walked around the hospital floor with the help of nurses.”
Gardner was a teen when Terry Fox made his famous attempt in 1980 to run across Canada — the Marathon of Hope — despite having lost his right leg to cancer. The run was to raise money for cancer research.
Fox started his run in St. John’s, Nfld., but he had to stop at Thunder Bay, some 5,373km later, due to complications from cancer. Since that time, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised more than $750 million for cancer research.
Fox died in 1981 at the age of 22.
“The Terry Fox run is so Canadian, but at the same time it has raised funds for cancer across the world,” Platz said.
She added her husband never lost sight of the fact his surviving cancer may have been because of funds raised from Terry Fox runs.
Those funds have continued to grow thanks to Gardner, his family and friends.
“My goal this year was to raise $3,000 and go from there,” Platz said with a chuckle. “I told my friends that if Terry could do that on his own, we should be able to do it with 20 people.”
One of the contributors was Robin’s mother Lorna Peacock, who made the trip from Lethbridge.
“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” Peacock said.
It wasn’t all people in the Gardner Gang. One of Terry’s closest friends, his 13-year-old dog Barley, made the trip for Terry — after years of being walked by Terry.
Barley was pushed in a carriage by Robin, after all it’s not easy making a 5K walk when you are a senior citizen.
Okotoks Terry Fox Run co-ordinatorr Sherry Heron said this year’s run will make about $4,500.
She was close to tearing up when the Gardner Gang made the walk.
“That was pretty awesome to see everybody come out for Terry,” said Heron, who has co-ordinated the run for the past five years.
“I have been doing this for a few years and it’s sad when you don’t see familiar faces because of cancer.”
