 After a period of lengthy self-reflection, Terry falls in love with Rike Noda, played by Rosalind Chao, a Christian teacher for mentally disabled children, who helps Terry in his quest to regain his self-confidence.Despite his mother Betty Fox's disapproval, on April 12, 1980 Terry dips his artificial limb into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John's, Newfoundland, and sets off on a Marathon of Hope across Canada to raise money for cancer research - the disease he has been battling for three years.That summer, the young man hobbles triumphantly into Toronto, cheered by over 10,000 Canadians who have adopted the 22-year-old as a national hero.