Man inspired by Terry Fox finishes cross-Canada run in Port Coquitlam

PORT COQUITLAM -

For the past 160 days, Jackson Charron-Okerlund has been walking and running across the country to raise funds for cancer research.

Saturday evening, a crowd gathered in Port Coquitlam to give Charron-Okerlund a hero’s welcome to mark the end of the journey dubbed Coast to Coast for a Cure.

“It feels unbelievable,” Charron-Okerlund told CTV News. “I'm just so thankful for everyone who came out to support make a donation, give me encouragement. It truly means the world to me.”

The Winnipeg man started in St. John’s, N.L., at Terry Fox’s memorial statue on March 6.

He pounded the pavement through snowstorms, rain, heat and wildfire smoke, carrying along with him a pair of Fox’s replica running shoes, which Adidas released to mark the 40th anniversary.

“I have two legs and Terry only had one and still pushed through the elements,” he said. “Without Terry, I would never have gotten the strength to be able to go 50, 60 kilometres a day on my legs.”

Charron-Okerlund worked in a long-term care home and saw how cancer impacted so many.

“I learned myself that life is very precious and everyone deserves to live a full one. So I just came out here to try and help with the cause and hopefully no one else loses their life to that nasty disease,” he explained.

His journey has touched many who followed his journey, which he documented on social media.

Port Coquitlam residents hugged and took photos with Charron-Okerlund, congratulating him on achieving his goal.

“I’m here on behalf of Mayor West, our city council and our whole city to say how proud of you we are and what you’ve done to raise awareness,” Coun. Nancy McCurrach told him.

Before Charron-Okerlund heads east, he plans to visit the Terry Fox statue in Vancouver, and Terry Fox Secondary School and Fox’s final resting place in Port Coquitlam.

Coast to Coast for a Cure raised $100,000 and he will be hand-delivering a cheque to the Terry Fox Foundation.