THUNDER BAY – A runner heading across Canada has received the Key to the City of Thunder Bay. Dr. Riley Senft and his Step Into Action campaign have put an incredible 3,620km under his feet. Senft arrived in Thunder Bay, where he took time out from his cross-Country run for Prostate Cancer to pay tribute to Terry Fox. Senft poured water he brought from the Atlantic symbolizing the starting point both men shared and reflecting on continuing a journey, which for Terry, was cut short.
Assembling at the Terry Fox Monument, Senft was greeted by members of the Thunder Bay Prostate Cancer Survivors group, who offered thanks for his dedication to Prostate Cancer and for sharing the steps to early detection. Joined by Mayor Keith Hobbs of Thunder Bay, Dr. Senft addressed the group, sharing the significance of his run and how Terry Fox inspired him from an early age to believe anything is possible.
“Terry ran on one leg, he had cancer, and he didn’t have access to the GPS or social media or any of the other technology that has evolved since he ran that I now have access to, and yet he managed to capture the heart of our nation and leave an incredible legacy. I don’t have cancer, I have both my legs, I have a better equipped support vehicle, and I still find every day of this run a huge challenge.”
In recognition of Step Into Action, Mayor Hobbs bestowed upon Riley the key to the city, thanking him for his dedication to Prostate Cancer awareness and invited Step Into Action to City Hall where he presented Riley with a personalized gift straight off his office wall. “The people of Thunder Bay feel an incredible connection with Terry Fox and what he stood for. Nowhere in the country have we encountered more enthusiastic waves, shouts of encouragement and respect on the road. And then to be given the key to the city? I’m overwhelmed,” says Senft as he reflects on the day.
Running across Canada to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer research, Riley’s journey began May 7th on a foggy cold day in Cape Spear, NL. Three months and more than halfway towards his Vancouver finish line, Senft has raised over $187,000 while educating men and their families on the Fingers of Truth about Prostate Cancer.
