Former Olympic boxer continues Terry Fox’s journey

Times Contributor

 

Running a route that stretches from Thunder Bay, Ontario, across Canada to Vancouver, British Columbia, three time Olympian boxer Mike Strange made a pit stop at the Best Western Strathmore Inn on Friday, June 1, and continued westward to Calgary on Saturday, June 2.

Strange chose to begin his journey on April 12, in Thunder Bay because that was the same day when Terry Fox began his journey, and the same location where the journey ended in 1980.

Strange’s mission is to help create children’s cancer awareness and raise funds, with proceeds going to Childhood Cancer Canada. Strange and the Box Run team have raised roughly $30,000 and hope to raise $100,000 come the end of the trip across Canada.

Strange will have stayed in Calgary for three nights where he will have visited the Calgary Science School to do a presentation. In addition to running across Canada, Strange and his team have been stopping along the way at schools and hospitals to continue to raise cancer awareness.

Strange was also looking forward to meeting his boxing idol, Willie de Wit, during his stay in Calgary. Strange described the ‘84 Olympian as being the reason why he went to the Olympics in the first place. Strange compared his excitement level to that of a young hockey fan who is about to meet professional ice hockey player, Sidney Crosby. 

Moving forward and beyond Calgary, Strange is aiming to reach Golden, B.C. by June 10.

 “We’re on day 52 of about 82 days, and everyone has been so great. Back 30 years when Terry did it, it was out there but not what it is now. Every three minutes, they say cancer picks a fight with another Canadian, something has to be done about it,” said Strange.

The initial idea to run across Canada sparked from Strange’s successful fundraiser, Heater’s Heroes which took place in Niagara Falls, ON, last August. The one day charity event raised over $26,000 with proceeds going to the local Tender Wish Foundation.

“Heater was (Robert Lavelle’s) nickname. He was like a second father to me and a mentor. He did a lot for me in the Olympics, he helped other Olympians, and he helped charities and children in the Southern Ontario region. Heater passed away three years ago from pancreatic cancer, so in his honour, we held this event called Heater’s Heroes Run for Children.”

The Heater’s Heroes charity event helped 16 children through the local wish foundation. One 13-year-old girl in particular, Kelsey Hill of Stevensville, ON, became close friends with Strange and passed away due to a cancerous brain tumour. Kelsey’s passing inspired Strange to run across Canada, as well as 11-year-old Matteo Mancini of St. Catharines, ON, who had lost part of his left leg to cancer. 

“I thought, ‘what can we do to make a difference for these kids? Has anyone run where Terry Fox hadn’t?’ I didn’t want to run where he ran out of respect for Terry’s footsteps, I kind of wanted to pick up where he left off and run where he didn’t run.”

As a previous Olympic boxer, Strange was accustomed to training that involved short and fast spurts, never long and strenuous runs. Strange however, described himself as always being a strong runner.

“I’ve done a few races, a half marathon, a couple of ten kilometer, fun races. I’ve never ran a marathon in my life, and people are saying, ‘you’ve never ran a marathon in your life and you’re practically running one every day!’”

Since the beginning of his trek across Canada, Strange has been running roughly around 40 km each day, which he described as being “tough, but your body gets used to it.”

“I don’t think about the end, I just take it by day by day. Today is day 52 and I am just going on from there.”

At the end of every day, Strange will record a YouTube video and will dedicate it to someone who has been affected by cancer. In addition, an inspirational word of the day is written on a Canadian flag which is pinned to the ground to mark the end of the day, as well as the beginning of the next.

Some obstacles that have been thrown in Strange’s way have been some physical pain, including injury in his legs. Since going to chiropractor Sean Bourasa in Medicine Hat, Strange says his shin splints have improved by about 90 per cent.

“It was probably 4-5 days of excruciating pain, but I am so glad I went through him and I am doing exercises so I don’t get them again. But, I am worried about going into the mountains in B.C.”

Weight loss has become a problem as well. In the beginning, Strange was excited at the thought of losing some extra weight, but cannot afford to lose any more. With the total of weight lost reaching 20lbs, Strange described having limited energy in the past several days, but has since been taking a high calorie, carb boosting powder.

The external complications of the weather have been challenging, all factors included: wind, rain and snow. Strange recalls being stuck in a snow storm on the Trans-Canada Highway in English River, ON, where the first 5 km were a foot and a half deep. Strange successfully managed to complete 28 km for that day.

“It’s not as physically tough as it is mentally, you’re lonely out there. Having people come out and run with me really helps me out and make the time go a lot faster. I have my MP3 player but it’s tough, listening to the same songs like Running on Empty by Jackson Browne. It’s stuff like that that keeps your going.”

 Many more events to raise money are on the agenda in Vancouver and back in Strange’s home in Niagara Falls.

“I don’t have superman blood in me, it is just determination and perseverance that have helped me and gotten me throughout the Olympics and running across Canada.”

You can follow Strange’s journey and donate to Childhood Cancer Canada by visiting the website, http://www.boxrun.ca/ which also links to his Facebook page and twitter account.