While Canadians prepared for the Terry Fox Run at home, in Germany dozens of people took part in their own charity run, the only one in the country and the first one in the city of Heidelberg in more than 20 years.Martin Leissl/The Globe and Mail
In a quiet, tree-lined parking lot outside Heidelberg, Germany, Sylvia Sax steps toward a poster of Terry Fox, pen in hand. To the many names already written, she adds one more: Alex.
Sylvia Sax’s grandson, Alexandre Sax Gomes, was eight years old when he was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. He died the following year, in December, 2022. It’s who she came to run for Sunday.
“My grandson was like Terry. He had courage. He was brave,” said the Canadian living in Germany.
Sylvia Sax, a Canadian living in Germany, is participating in the Terry Fox Run in Heidelberg, Germany, for the memory of her grandson, Alex, who was eight years old when he was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer.Martin Leissl/The Globe and Mail
Hours before Canadians crossed the start line at Terry Fox runs across the country, thousands of miles away participants in Heidelberg set off on their own course. About 90 runners and walkers, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with Terry’s image, passed by a Canadian flag as they commenced their run along the historic German city’s edge.
This year, Sept. 15 is the official Terry Fox Run day in Canada. Heidelberg’s run, the only one taking place in Germany, is one of 30 scheduled international runs this year. Eight other cities outside Canada also held runs on Sunday, including London; Auckland, New Zealand; and Sapporo, Japan.
In Heidelberg, as the runners started their first lap along the side of the Neckar River, volunteers organized a table of homemade German cakes, pastries and bottled beer from a local brewery. Most here had only recently learned about Terry’s story, but almost everyone had a connection to the cause he stood for.
Terry Fox became a role model for Canada when, after having lost a leg to osteosarcoma at 18 years old, he embarked on a cross-country run to raise money for cancer research. He ran the equivalent of a full marathon a day for 143 days, ending his trek early when the disease returned. Now in the 44th year, the foundation created in his name has raised more than $950-million for cancer research.
Melanie Marysko and Pascal Liebold only learned about Terry Fox and his legacy recently, but felt inspired to support the cause on behalf of each of their parents, all four of whom died from cancer.Martin Leissl/The Globe and Mail
Melanie Marysko and Pascal Liebold, who came from the nearby city of Mannheim to join the run, wore stickers declaring who they were running for: on each was written “Mama und Papa.” All four of their parents died from cancer, they said.
“This is a thing we do together,” Mr. Liebold said. “That’s what’s important about this. We carry on the message – and this year is just the start.”
This is the first Terry Fox run in Heidelberg in more than 20 years. Like many international races, it was first started here by Canadian Armed Forces service members stationed abroad. But when those troops were called home, the annual runs ended, too.
After living in Canada with his family for four years, Lars Hallbauer wanted to bring Terry's message home to Germany. He organized this year's Terry Fox Run in Heidelberg, the first in the city for more than 20 years.Martin Leissl/The Globe and Mail
A German man is hoping to make it an annual event: Lars Hallbauer learned about Terry’s story during the four years that his family lived in Bolton, Ont.
“To me, he’s one of the greatest athletes of all time. His willpower and selflessness are messages I wanted to bring back here,” Mr. Hallbauer said.
Funds raised from international runs are donated to research institutions that are approved by the Terry Fox Foundation. The funds from the Heidelberg run will go to the German Cancer Research Center, also based in the city, the largest biomedical research institute in Germany. Over the past 30 years, German runs have raised more than $700,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
For Fred Fox, Terry’s brother, the run in Germany has special meaning: it’s taking place close to where their relatives came from.
The family traces its roots to the small town of Sonderhofen, about two hours from Heidelberg, as far back as the late 1700s. Terry’s great-great-grandfather, Jakob Fuchs, emigrated from Germany to the U.S. in the 1880s, changing the spelling of the family’s name before eventually settling in Canada.
“Knowing that Terry’s legacy is being continued where the family originated is quite moving,” Mr. Fox told The Globe and Mail. “Terry would be so proud to know that what he did in 1980 is now impacting research all over the world.”