Terry Fox

Terry Fox is a Canadian hero. Terry was born on July 28, 1958, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but grew up in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. He played many sports in high school and went to university to study physical education.
His studies ended in 1977 when doctors discovered he had bone cancer. Shortly after this, his right leg was amputated (cut off) above the knee. While he was recovering in hospital, he decided to run across Canada. He wanted to let people know about the suffering of cancer patients and to raise money for cancer research.
After his recovery, Terry was fitted with an artificial leg. He then spent 18 months running thousands of kilometres to prepare for what he called the ‘Marathon of Hope’.
He began his run in St.John’s, Newfoundland, on April 12, 1980, when he dipped his foot in the Atlantic Ocean. As Terry ran along the highway, his friend followed him in a motorhome.
It was a difficult run, especially in the beginning when few people knew about it. But he was very determined and kept running. Soon people were gathering along his route to cheer him on and to give money to his cause. The media began to report on his progress.
On September 1, 1980, Terry’s marathon ended near Thunder Bay, Ontario. The cancer had spread to his lungs and he could go no further. He had run for 143 days and had covered 5,373 kilometres. Canadians were deeply saddened by Terry’s story. The whole country mourned when he died on June 28, 1981.
Since his death, Terry Fox Runs have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research. These runs are held each year across Canada and in 60 countries around the world.