Fulfilling hero’s mission

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

Thirty-seven years ago, French national Guy Amalfitano sat in a hospital bed at the age of 17, stuck at a crossroad about his life’s purpose.
An earlier diagnosis of osteosarcoma – a cancer that starts at the knee – resulted in the amputation of his right leg, and as he underwent chemotherapy in 1980, a young Canadian appeared on the television bestowing hope and a newfound purpose on the young athlete.
Canadian legend Terry Fox, who battled the same cancer as Amalfitano, made headlines in Europe with his Marathon of Hope when he attempted to run across Canada with his prosthetic leg to raise dollars and awareness for cancer research.
The story inspired Amalfitano who, as an already avid athlete himself, turned to sports: running, swimming and skiing. Now, nearly 40 years later, the 54-year-old landed in New Brunswick to begin his own trek across the country, to finish Fox’s mission and honour the hero who motivated him to live.
“That’s when the magic happened; when I saw Terry on the newscast it him me, ‘that’s my reason,’” said Amalfitano in French through his translator. “My dream is to fulfil Terry’s dream, and without seeing him on TV I would’ve never known what the purpose of my life would be, so Terry became my hero.”
In 2011, the father of two ran a tour across France to raise money for cancer research. It wasn’t until residents encouraged him to repeat the tour in 2013 that he started preparing for his own Canada-wide marathon – Crossing of Hope. The challenge has him travelling a distance of 43 kilometres a day, or the equivalent of a marathon.
On Oct. 11 just before 11 a.m. Amalfitano passed through Strathmore on his specially designed crutches at an average speed of eight km/h. Strathmore marked the 145th day of his journey as he makes his way to Vancouver, accompanied by a camper and six drivers who take turns throughout the course.
“He wants to thank Terry for giving him a purpose,” said friend, driver, and translator Gaston Letourneau.
“He’s like a battery. He’s been recharged by all this energy of people from Newfoundland to here.”
Yet Amalfitano is no stranger to Alberta. He participated in the 1988 Paralympics in Calgary as a skier. With months and months of training before boarding the plane earlier this year, the umijambiste – or one-legged man – said he was physically well but struggled emotionally, especially when starting the non-stop race at the Terry Fox Monument in Thunder Bay on May 13. The French athlete, or the Kangaroo as he is nicknamed, plans to finish his Saint John-to-Vancouver race in 177 days covering 7,600 km, on Nov.6.
To follow his journey, visit his Guy Amalfitano’s Facebook page.