Even from a distance, it would have been impossible not to recognize him by his distinctive skip-hop gate.
Leaning to raise his right hip with each step, Terry Fox had to let the knee hinge of his prosthetic leg swing forward before he could land on it.
If Fox were running across Canada today, however, he would move just like anyone else.
While the prosthetic leg he used allowed him to take on the challenge of covering many miles a day during his Marathon of Hope, the technology as it was in 1980 was rudimentary compared to what is available now.
Today, amputees can walk or run on one or even two synthetic legs that simulate the body's natural movement very accurately.
With arm prostheses, they can now pick up an object with individuated finger manipulation.
In the last three decades, the technology, medical advancement and attitude surrounding amputation have redefined what it means to be disabled.
At Russell Prosthetics in New Westminster, owner and prosthetist Scott Hedlund has been on the forefront of the evolution of prosthetics throughout his 20-year career.
"It seems almost weekly there's new technology coming down the pipe," he said.
Russell Prosthetics is a comprehensive prosthetics and orthotics shop where patients can be fitted for prosthetic limbs, braces and orthotics.
The component parts are manufactured in Germany, Iceland and the U.S. and then are tailored for the individual patient on site.
For the past 20 years, Hedlund has worked at the only prosthetics shop in New Westminster, buying out the business from the original owner three years ago.
Every day, he sees patients who have lost limbs to disease, accident or congenital anomaly.
On average, he helps 20 to 30 trauma patients per year - people who have lost a limb in an accident or through surgery after a limb could not be saved.
The vast majority, however, are older patients who have lost a leg due to complications of having diabetes.
The shop is just a couple of blocks from Royal Columbian Hospital, which makes it easy for Hedlund to visit patients just before and after their amputation surgery.
He has also observed some surgeries to further his knowledge and become more integrated in the patient care process.
Patients come from all over B.C. and as far away as Alberta and even the Yukon.
Though the technology is steadily changing and improving, it is the human
component of the job that Hedlund finds the most interesting and satisfying part of his career.
"We see people in pretty life-changing, life-altering times, and you get to see that progression, especially with new amputees."
With diabetic patients, Hedlund said many who have been in pain for a long time, with foot injuries or sores, respond positively to using a prosthetic leg.
"Finally they've had the surgery and they're up and walking without pain for the first time. They tend to take to it a little bit quicker than some of the traumatic amputees where their life is changed in a matter of seconds. It's generally more of a positive thing, but there are situations where people are still angry, they're still going through that grieving process."
For his own experience at work, Hedlund said it can be emotionally draining at times, and he found that aspect of the job took much longer to learn to adapt to than the technological or medical knowledge required.
He sees on average six to eight patients per day.
Some are more concerned with function than aesthetics, and are happy to use a sport prosthetic that looks nothing like a human leg - a thin, black, curved metal bar of the type Oscar Pistorius used recently during the London Olympics in sprinting - for example.
Then there are those who prefer to have a fleshcoloured prosthetic that goes unnoticed when worn with a stocking or pant leg over top.
The biggest challenge about the job, for Hedlund, is what he refers to as the "roadblocks" to funding.
While funding comes through several sources, including WorkSafe B.C., the War Amps of Canada and others, the vast majority is through Pharmacare, which for the past 10 years has been operated by an American health-care organization that has made cutbacks over the years.
The cost of a prosthetic leg is generally between $7,500 and $25,000, depending on the intricacies of the technology involved.
For someone to have to choose a less optimal prosthetic because of cost is frustrating, Hedlund said.
"You know, having a very basic prosthesis can, in some respects, be limiting; it can drain somebody's potential, whether they're going back to work or being a contributing member of society, and just have a negative effect on people's health."
Despite the challenges, Hedlund said there are obvious rewards in his position, especially to have the opportunity to witness someone's first steps after not being able to walk for a long time.
"To see the look on somebody's face when they take those first steps, and then the look of their spouse, their husband or wife... that's probably the best part of the day for me," he said.
One patient, in particular, Hedlund remembers for his resilience and positive attitude.
The young man had lost his foot after it was crushed in an accident, but within a year of his amputation he was back on the ski hill, pursuing his passion, and he has subsequently become a ski patroller, spending over 100 days a year doing what he loves.
"To see somebody be able to realize their potential, whether it's just being able to get up and walk from the bed to the bathroom, or whether it's somebody actually achieving their dreams and going to the Paralympics, it's just the little things I'm constantly inspired by," Hedlund said.
