If Ever There was a Hero: 

First of all, if you haven't seen the video of the Bryan Adams song " The Ballad of Terry Fox" yet, check out Youtube. The song is beautiful and the lyrics are inspiring. The song is filled with powerful images of Terry but the last line says it all, " he ran for me and you."

Joy and I  went to TIFF yesterday to see "Run Terry Run" a movie about the greatest Canadian and a person who impacted a nation, many Olympians among them. Terry Fox has been a part of our lives for 46 years. and my Olympia experience mirrors that.

Inspiring; motivational, empathetic, athletic, setting goals, taking on challenges. It sounds all so familiar that it feels to me like Olympia is an extension of sorts of what we learned from a 22 year-old cancer survivor in 1980. 

I hope this blog allows the reader to reflect on their Terry motivated journey. Everyone alive at the time has a journey connected to Terry in some form. Here is mine. 

In 1980 while Terry was dipping his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St John's and running a marathon a day Joy and I were married in Miramichi, New Brunswick at the end of August. I'm embarrassed to say that I, like many Canadians, really didn't follow this one-legged runner in the early days. Living in Ottawa at the time and with wedding plans and personal issues taking priority, my first real inkling of Terry was when he did the opening kickoff at an Ottawa Roughrider game and met with PM Trudeau. After that though, I became enthralled by everything Marathon of Hope and kept weekly, then daily newspaper articles in a file.

"Run Terry Run" captures his 3339 mile journey that ended just outside of Thunder Bay better than anything I've seen before, although " Into the Wind" by Steve Nash was also great. This movie had reels and reels of footage that was just discovered in a basement stored from over 40 years ago. It will be out in theatres in early October so check it out. This movie brought out so many memories that I want to share. 

Just 22 and newly married I was wondering what was next and luckily for me being motivated by Terry was a big part of what was next. I was working at the Y in Ottawa and took up running on sections of the beautiful Rideau Canal, up to five or so miles most days. I would run to the Bronson Street bridge and have to touch it before turning around. Terry always had a sign post to motivate his runs so I needed to do it too. Inspired by the running scene,  I got involved with the organization of the 1981 Ottawa Marathon and that day inspired me. Never a runner of any experience, I thought if Terry could run on one leg I could run, if all those thousands of runners could run, I could run.

Joy and I moved to Burlington in August of 1981 to further my career at the Y and eventually to Brock University for teacher's college, where I first experienced post-secondary coaching.  All these years and experiences helped shaped who I became and what I did with my life. All these experiences also taught me much that I could and would share with others. Thoughts of what Terry did and his death in 1981 were central to many thoughts and decisions.

I got involved in the organization of the local Burlington Terry Fox Run for many years along with Olympia Triathlon Coach Greg Pace, who is still an active race director all these years later. Now there's a Terry motivated journey. I also got involved in long-distance running on a high scale. Joy and I ran the 1982 Ottawa Marathon, re-tracing the steps that I witnessed thousands doing the year before, and retracing some of the steps Terry had run through Ottawa. That run didn't go as I had hoped but maybe that had to happen; nothing worth pursuing is never going to be easy. Terry taught me that. I got more and more involved in running. For the next several years going for long runs every Sunday and training for the next marathon was what life was. Not only marathons, I would run every 10k in the area, and the famous 30km Around The Bay Road Race was an annual challenge that had to be met. I was always looking for the rush that striving and struggling of a race brought. 

That brings out the most prominent effect that " The Ballad of Terry Fox" had on me. The new footage had so many close ups of his face that showed the balance of peace and agony that every runner can relate to.

Over the next 15 years I ran ten marathons. Always a middle of the pack runner, I'm proudest to say that I finished them all, including the 100th running of the Boston Marathon in 1996. 

When I joined Olympia in the mid 80's I met so many like-minded people that working and training hard, coaching kids, and having a great social time was seen as just what you did at camp.  Cool how we would sort of motivate each other. A lot of accomplished people who gave of themselves for the kids, and each other. In Dave Grace I met another visionary whose value and belief system dovetailed what I had learned by watching Terry run until he couldn't run anymore. 

I took the freedom and spirit of Olympia to make sure my running was part of the week. I remember running with good friend and fellow basketball coach Eric Tiessen. I remember running down Limberlost Road  and seeing the bronzed Wes McConnell coming toward me on his way back to camp. We'd do the Billy Bear route or other shorter, although always hilly runs.  One year before Sunday brunch I left camp, ran to Hwy 60 and back, a distance of 28 km. Best part of that tough Sunday morning jaunt was the dip into OxBow after, and still made it to brunch before that afternoon's opening ceremonies. Other years, once the family was at camp with me, Joy would drive me to Hwy 60 and I'd run back to camp, a paltry 14kms. The idea of long distance challenges also spread to OxBow as many coaches started to do the 'buoy swim' with a 1km loop created by the swim and triathlon camps. Joy as always was supportive, guiding me in a kayak.

I know this is Tuesdays With Dave but I  couldn't wait to share this on the day of the annual Terry Fox Run. Terry's original goal was to raise $1 million and at TIFF on Saturday they announced that the Terry Fox Foundation has raised over $1 billion. They crowd roared. Whats cool as I write this years after I can't run to the dining hall I know that my reflection echoes that of millions. No big deal, its just what we do.

" He did the best any human can" 

Do you have an idea or direction for a blog entry? Email me at coachdools71@gmail.com and lets talk possibilities. 

A Hero’s Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp chronicles the people that make up the history of Olympia, but it does far more than that. It serves as an inspirational guidebook for readers to become the hero of their own path. In order to do this the book examines the history of the land on which the camp has been built, from its indigenous origins to the European settlement process of the 1800’s. and the use of the land by the Royal Norwegian Air Force during WWll. The book is built on a collection of stories related to mentorship, sports psychology, and community building. This book honours the 50-year history of the camp while giving us all a window into seeing a deeper level of understanding of the world and our place in it.

Books Available at: 

-  Tuck and Pro at Olympia ( ask about the coach's deal)

 - Amazon and Indigo.ca

-  Indigo, Burlington Brant Street location.

- The Different Drummer Book Store on Locust Street in Burlington\

- Cedar Canoe Books on Main St in Huntsville

- Etransfer me $30 and I'll drive it to your house ! 

- available online at aherosjourney.ca

- audiobook version is available at Audible, Amazon, and iTunes 

If you would like us to come to your town for a book event or get copies into your favourite bookstore , email me at coachdools71@gmail.com. We travel well.