On September 15th 2005, I walked laps around my school gymnasium. The tail end of an early autumn hurricane lashed at the doors. As I made one circle after another, I thought about why I was doing this. It was in memory of Terry Fox, a young man who died long before I was born. As I made each rotation of the gym, I was struck by the incredible impact Terry had on this country. Twenty-five years after his death, he inspires, and gives hope to millions of Canadians. On September 15th, Canadian school children walked and ran to help realize Terry's dream. That is why my choice for person of the year for 2005 is Terry Fox.

The road for Terry was an arduous one. Having lost his leg to cancer, he embarked on his "Marathon of Hope." Canadians identify with Terry Fox because he was an ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary things. Over 360 million dollars has been raised for cancer research in Terry's name. Even though this young man is not physically with us today, he is much alive as any living, breathing human being.

Terry touches the lives of thousands with his inspirational run. He instills a sense of pride and national identity in every Canadian. Terry Fox is my choice for the A&E Biography of the Year. As I circled the gym, I realized that Terry moves through each on of us as no Canadian has done before.

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