‘It’s almost impossible not to feel inspired’: how the story of Terry Fox fired up Canada’s patriotic spirit again

‘Watching him run, it’s almost impossible for a Canadian to not feel moved and inspired.’ Photograph: Erin Combs/Toronto Star/Getty Images

Rob Stickle was six years old and waiting to see The Empire Strikes Back when a ripple passed through the crowd. His mother hoisted him on to her shoulders to see a man loping down one of Toronto’s busiest streets.

“I was a Star Wars fanatic, and I remember saying to mom: ‘He has a robot leg.’”