A Carleton student is one of 20 recipients from across the country to recently be awarded a Terry Fox humanitarian award.
Brett Babcock, a fourth-year psychology and disability studies student, has joined the ranks of nearly 900 Terry Fox Scholars across Canada since the award’s inception in 1982.
Valued at up to $28,000, the scholarships are awarded to students who have demonstrated courage and determination through academics, athletics and civic life, according to a press release.
The award program was established in 1982 by order of then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to honour the life and achievements of Terry Fox, Christina McPhail, the marketing and event assistant for the award, explained in an email.
In 2012 at the age of 18, Babcock became quadriplegic while he was part of the Canadian Trampoline Team and in his first year at Carleton. He ended up taking two years off from school to recover.
“Losing the autonomy of [my] body as an international gymnast was [a] heartbreaking nightmare, but I no longer dwell on the past,” Babcock said in an email. “I feel a part of something bigger now that the Terry Fox Foundation has welcomed me into their legacy.”
In his award application, Babcock said he discussed his involvement in wheelchair track and field racing, volunteering as peer support with Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, and the Carleton Accessibility Fund Committee.
Babcock is also the programming co-ordinator with the Carleton Disability Awareness Centre.
He said his application also included details about his four years of experience as a keynote speaker addressing disabilities and common barriers and myths.
“I believe social inclusion involves all disabilities and all ages,” Babcock said.
Babcock also founded Tabs4Charity, an organization that collects aluminum tabs to raise funds for families struggling to afford medical equipment for their children with disabilities.
He added that his co-ordinator at the Paul Menton Centre first made him aware of the award.
“I decided to wait a couple years before applying, because I felt I had more to prove to myself and to the disability community,” Babcock said. “Out of respect for Terry Fox, I was only going to apply if I truly dedicated myself and embodied all criteria.”
McPhail said the award office received more than 650 applications this year and selected only 20 winners, including Babcock.
According to her, after the award office reviews each application, standout candidates are invited to in-person interviews made up of a panel of previous award recipients and other staff. She said Fox’s older brother, Fred, sits on the final selection committee.
“Our goal is to select candidates who have demonstrated the highest ideals and qualities of humanitarianism and courage, which Terry Fox embodied,” McPhail said.
Michaela Kelly, president of Carleton’s chapter of Terry’s CAUSE, said in an email that Terry Fox’s legacy has endured since his Marathon of Hope first took place 35 years ago.
“Terry Fox is a meaningful Canadian symbol, and his legacy continues to thrive and inspire,” Kelly said.
According to Kelly, this year’s Terry Fox run will be held on Sept. 17, starting from Carleton’s Anniversary Park.
“This award has been [a] personal victory for so many reasons,” Babcock said. “For me, this award was about becoming part of a tight-knit community that values genuine volunteerism, compassion and activism.”
Photo by Meagan Casalino
