'It was inspiring': Terry Fox's cousin recounts witnessing Marathon of Hope

This year's Terry Fox Run marks a turning point for one Winnipeg man with a personal connection to the distance runner famous for attempting to run across Canada after losing a leg to cancer.

Jeff Neill was Fox's cousin and rode his bike alongside him as he passed through Brampton, Ont. during his Marathon of Hope in 1980 raising money for cancer research.

Neill was 12 years old at the time. Now for the first time, Neill has decided to get involved in organizing the Winnipeg run as  part of the 37th annual Terry Fox Run.

Although they had met only once before he set out on his east-to-west journey, Neill said Fox was already his hero.

"I couldn't believe that he would even attempt that, let alone possibly make it, but for some reason I believed in him, I thought he was going to finish what he started," said Neill in an interview on CBC Radio's Weekend Morning Show.

When Neill heard that Fox would be passing through Brampton, he asked his dad to take him to meet Fox. The morning before Fox resumed his run, they threw Neill's bike into the car and drove to the motel where Fox  was staying.

Neill waited on the curb for Fox to emerge. "I was quite impressed when he finally did. Even though it was family to me, he seemed like more."

They quickly reintroduced themselves and then Fox said he needed to get going. Neill asked if he could join Fox for a bit.

"He said he wished I would, so I jumped on my bike and followed him down Lake Shore [Boulevard]."

Even though he says he was an athletic kid, Neill rode his bike because he wasn't sure he could keep up with Fox.

Realized significance

As he followed, Neill said he couldn't believe the reaction of people along the way who came out to cheer Fox on as he ran. It was the first time that Neill started to realize the significance of Fox's run.

"It was quite inspiring," Neill said.

He rode alongside Fox until he realized he was too far from home. He stopped and shook hands with Fox before turning around.

Fox was born in Winnipeg in 1958. In 1977, he was diagnosed with a malignant tumour and his right leg was amputated 15 centimetres above the knee.

He got angry with his cancer, he got angry with the reasons why, he was not different than anybody else, but unlike the rest of us, he didn't sit around and do nothing about it.- Neill

He started out his Marathon of Hope by dipping his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John's, N.L. and planned to do the same when he  reached the Pacific Ocean, but after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres he was forced to stop outside Thunder Bay.

The cancer had spread to his lungs, and Fox died on June 28, 1981, one month before his 23rd birthday.

In September of that year, the first Terry Fox Run was held.

Now in its 37th year, Neill felt it was time to get involved in organizing the event. He said his cousin taught him the importance of perseverance.

"He got angry with his cancer, he got angry with the reasons why, he was not different than anybody else, but unlike the rest of us, he didn't sit around and do nothing about it."

The run started in Assiniboine Park at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. For every dollar raised, $0.84 goes towards cancer research. In total, the Terry Fox Foundation  has raised more than $715 million for cancer research.