Ever since he attempted a coast-to-coast marathon in his native Canada back in 1980, cancer-stricken amputee Terry Fox has stood as one of the most admired activists against the disease. Though Terry sadly lost his battle the following year, his spirit lives on in the millions who participate in charity runs held in his name across the world. Abu Dhabi’s 16th Terry Fox Run happens next week, with thousands expected to pound along the Corniche in a continuation of Terry’s pioneering work. Nafisa Taha, head of the committee organising the event, thinks this year’s run is going to be the city’s most successful yet.
Tell us a bit about the history of the event.
The Abu Dhabi run started in 1995. From the start, the most important objectives were to keep the money raised in the country and to raise awareness of cancer in the UAE. We started with about 100 participants at the first run, and now it’s grown to around 12,000-15,000 each year. The most important thing we’ve achieved is spreading the message through the schools, to teach the children to extend a hand to the community and that even those with cancer have hope. So far, the run itself has raised more than Dhs7 million. Last year we raised about Dhs650,000, this year we’re aiming for a million. Why not?
What happens on the day?
We try to make it a family event. We’re having the police band, which will be playing the national anthems for Canada and the UAE, as well as kids from the institute of classical music. The atmosphere is really fun, there will be volunteers brought in to hand out water and people helping with the recycling. So we’re joining hands with different aspects of the community. As for the run itself, anyone can join in – people can walk, run, and even Rollerblade the 8km course.
Do you think there are there enough of these types of events in Abu Dhabi?
It’s not a matter of how many events, what’s more important is every single person contributing in their own way. The littlest step makes a real difference, whether you have an event for five people and collect five dirhams or an event for 15,000 where you collect a million.
The Terry Fox Run now takes place in more than 50 countries. Why do you think the cause has captured the world’s imagination?
Everyone has been touched by cancer. It doesn’t know age, it doesn’t know nationality. The suffering is so bad, especially among the children. We’re not going to finish this, the dream has to go on. If we stop, die or leave, other people have to carry on, to take the banner of Terry Fox and run with it.
How do you see the event growing in the coming years?
I’ve been involved since the very start, along with a few others. A big aim going forward is to keep penetrating the message into schools. We have volunteers – people who are handling the advertising, for example – who used to volunteer their time as little kids, so it’s become part of their life. Isn’t that just beautiful?
The Terry Fox Run takes place on February 18, starting at the Fanzone area of the Corniche. Registration starts at 7am, with the run expected to begin at 10am. For more information, visit www.twitter.com/TFRinAbuDhabi.
Time to limber up…
The Terry Fox Run may only be 8km, but you’ll still do well to follow these top tips to avoid collapsing before the finish line. Don’t buy your trainers the day before the run – they may look shiny and new, but you’ll risk giving yourself blisters and hobbling out of the run halfway through. Stick to your good old, broken-in training shoes.
We all know that warming up before pre-run training sessions is essential, but a good warm-down is every bit as important. Spend 10 minutes stretching out your leg muscles after you train, else you risk turning up to the run with stiff limbs.
The night before the run, eat a carb-heavy meal (pasta is ideal). The next morning, have a light breakfast (fruit and cereal is a good option) but avoid caffeine, or you’ll end up dehydrated.
And, of course, you’ll want to flex your wallet, too. The easiest way for participants to raise cash is to register with www.justgiving.com where you can create a handy link to send out to your friends, who can contribute via credit card or PayPal.
