The Terry Fox run day

Thirty years ago, Terry Fox dipped his foot in the Atlantic Ocean and set out to run a marathon across Canada, in the hope of finding a cure for cancer. His journey came to an end after more than 5,300 kilometers when he lost his battle to cancer.

The foundation is happy that Cheryl Bernard is this year's official spokesperson. They believe she embodies everything Terry symbolized: courage, perseverance and athleticism.

"I do remember watching Terry Fox 30 years ago," said the curling silver medalist, who was 14 in 1980. "More and more it hits me what he did to raise awareness about cancer and that took a lot of dedication. He signified hope and courage for all of us and I think it's amazing. What he would say to us today is keep doing what you're doing".

7 years ago, Cheryl’s father lost his fight against cancer. "When that happens to you, you really begin to reach out and get involved and help out wherever you can," said the Calgarian.

Each participant was given a pinny to write down the name of the loved one they were running for. Bernard was running in memory of her father.

The foundation has so far risen over $500 million in support of cancer research and Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope now takes place in more than 30 countries around the world.