If our heroes are reflections of the best we have in us, then Terry Fox truly typifies the quintessential Canadian hero.
You can't think of a single negative around this man: he exemplified pure courage, selflessness and tenacity in his short time with us and since his passing, his family has never done or said anything inappropriate: there have been no sex scandals, no boozing, no financial improprieties at the foundation that became his legacy.
Everything surrounding him is positive, it is all good.
The story, known so well to us, still astounds me: Terry ran a marathon a day for nearly five months, on one leg with lung cancer spreading through his body.
When you think about it, this may be the most heroic physical undertaking in history.And this day is part of his legacy. Millions of Canadians, and people around the world, are inspired by this remarkable man and moved to raise money for cancer research.
To date, the Terry Fox runs have raised over 500 million dollars. To think, Terry's initial goal was to raise a million dollars. How often does anyone surpass a goal five hundred times over?
Yet, here they were this morning. Doing whatever they could, doing their part, making it better. Together.
You can feel the pride in the air when Canadians speak of Terry Fox and you can feel your pulse quicken when you feel the enthusiasm he inspires to this day, 30 years after his passing. Canadian children know the Terry Fox story because his Marathon of Hope has become our common experience. We see the best of ourselves in him and it is right that we should because he was one of us.
It is often said that we are not an effusive people; that we do not have enough traditions to bind us and that our patriotism is of a timid nature. While our pride may be more reserved than some, I'd point to last February's Olympic games as an example of what we accomplish when we let our fervour take hold.
To the notion that Canada is merely a collection of regions, I'd say nonsense; today, we truly are Terry Fox Nation. On days like this, the world really does need more Canada.
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