45-km goal for 45th Terry Fox Run
By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The magic number is 45.
That’s how many kilometres Lynda Hawkins and Steve Moore will cover Sept. 14 to mark the 45th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run.
Elite marathoners, the long-time Chatham running mates are hitting the pavement to honour one of Canada’s most beloved heroes.
A native of Dresden, Hawkins, 56, has supported the community’s celebrated Terry Fox Run for 20 years. Lacing up her shoes to raise money for cancer research is deeply personal for her as she lost her father Bob Hawkins to the illness 21 years ago.
“The Dresden Terry Fox Run is near and dear to my heart,” Hawkins told The Voice in a recent interview. “My dad was sick so I needed to do something. I started out walking and I walked a marathon. Then I switched to running. It means a lot because of him.”
As a self-described running addict, the Enbridge employee has dozens of marathons under her belt.
“I’ve done the six major marathons (including Boston, New York, Tokyo, London, Berlin and Chicago) and have run in six out of seven continents,” Hawkins said. “And I’m still working on it, so yeah, I’m definitely an addict.
“I’ve seen the world and it’s been good.”
Hawkins met her running partner Moore by chance at Chatham’s Up and Running Club, and they’ve been running together ever since. Plus, their families, including Hawkins’ husband Greg Caron and Moore’s wife Hazel, all knew each other as their children played team sports together.
Moore, a 56-year-old Global Greenfield electrician, said he began running in 2009 for “health reasons and to stay in shape.”
He hasn’t looked back, also completing the six major world marathons. Recently Moore ran 13.5 hours in the Last Man Standing trail race ultra-marathon in London Ont.
The two runners said they continue to be motivated by Fox’s extraordinary example.
“Terry Fox is a total hero to me,” Hawkins said. “As a runner, knowing what he did with that horrible prosthetic leg, it’s amazing. He’s always been a huge inspiration to me.”
“Terry Fox’s story is awesome,” echoed Moore. “What he went through, his determination…I think a lot of runners feel inspired by him. He inspires people of all ages and at all different levels.
“Not just in running, but in life. I’m just in awe of what he did. He was out there by himself with a small crew bringing awareness. We need to try and live up to it.”
The pair has been preparing for the Terry Fox Run for the last month, Moore said, noting the two are always training for upcoming runs or marathons depending on the year and season. As of press time, they hadn’t decided on the final route but will finish the run’s last five kilometres on the Dresden Raceway track – the spot where the very first Dresden Terry Fox Run was held in town. Organizers decided to return to the site to mark the 45th.
Moore credits Hawkins for choosing 45 for 45.
“She’s definitely the driver behind this,” he said.
Both runners will be joined by their spouses and families at Dresden to complete the final leg. That includes Hawkins’ mother Shirley, now 86, another long-time participant in the Dresden Terry Fox Run.
“We always try to have a crew of our family join her,” Hawkins said.
Along with Dresden, Terry Fox Runs in Chatham-Kent will be held in Wallaceburg, Tilbury and Blenheim. To find out more access the Terry Fox Foundation website.
