Terry Fox
By: Brittany H.
The run
In 1980, he began the Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run to raise
money for cancer research. Fox hoped to raise one dollar for each of Canada's 24
million people. He began with little fanfare from St. John's, Newfoundland, in April
and ran the equivalent of a full marathon every day. Fox had become a national star
by the time he reached Ontario; he made numerous public appearances with
businessmen, athletes, and politicians in his efforts to raise money. He was forced
to end his run outside of Thunder Bay when the cancer spread to his lungs. His
hopes of overcoming the disease and completing his marathon ended when he
died nine months later.
On June 28, 1981 Terry Fox(aged 22) died in the hospital in
New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. On June 28,
1981 more than $24 million dollars were raised, and it was
caused by Terry’s death. On Sept. 19, 2010, the 30th annual
Terry Fox Run was held. So far, the event has raised over $553
million for cancer research. And it has gone global. In 2008
alone, more than two million people in 28 countries took part
in Terry Fox runs.
“Even though I'm not running anymore, we still have to try to find a cure for cancer.
Other people should go ahead and try to do their own thing now.” – Terry Fox
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Terry was an 18 year old student who played on the school’s basketball team at
the time in 1977 he was diagnosed with bone cancer that resulted in the
amputation of his right leg six inches above the knee. After undergoing
chemotherapy and seeing other people, particularly children, suffering with
cancer, Terry decided that he wanted to make a difference in the world, he
wanted to do something to help cure this dreadful disease.
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The Marathon of Hope began on April 12, 1980 in St. John's Newfoundland.
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He ran 26 miles per day, 7 days per week. He ran for 143 days, Imagine how sore
your legs would be.
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Terry ran from St. John's Newfoundland all the way to Thunder Bay, but around
the Thunder Bay area Terry was forced to stop running from the cancer the had
come back and spread to his lungs.
•
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Terry fox
raised hope
and brought
people together
to rerun this
marathon of
hope and raise
money for the
cure for cancer.
•
He inspired
many people
around the
world, and
helped raise a
lot of money.
Still to this day
we are collecting
the millions
brought by each
new year and new
marathon because
of Terry.
“Some people can’t figure out what I’m doing. It’s not a walk-hop, it’s not a trot, it’s running, or as
close as I can get to running, and it’s harder than doing it on two legs. It makes me mad when
” – Terry Fox
people call this a walk. If I was walking it wouldn’t be anything.
Even though Terry Fox was in pain, and had
cancer spreading to his lungs he still did the
impossible, the thing no one else would do.
I believe he was a great leader and hero, he
brought more attention to people that cancer
wont just go away, you need to fight it and find a
cure.
“It’s one thing to run across Canada, but now, people are really going to know what
cancer is.” – Terry Fox
•
Cancer is the disease caused by an
uncontrolled division of abnormal
cells in a part of the body.
Determining what
causes cancer is
complex. Many things
are known to increase
the risk of cancer,
including tobacco use,
certain infections,
radiation, lack of
physical activity, poor
diet and obesity, and
environmental
pollutants. These can
directly damage genes
or combine with existing
genetic faults within
cells to cause the
disease. Approximately
five to ten percent of
cancers are entirely
Fox remains a prominent figure in Canadian folklore. His determination united the nation; people
from all walks of life lent their support to his run and his memory inspires pride in all regions of the
country. A 1999 national survey named him as Canada's greatest hero, and he finished second to
Tommy Douglas in the 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation program The Greatest Canadian.
Fox's heroic status has been attributed to his image as an ordinary person attempting a remarkable
and inspirational feat.
Others have argued that Fox's greatness derives from his audacious vision, his
determined pursuit of his goal, his ability to overcome challenges such as his lack of experience and
the very loneliness of his venture. As Fox's advocate on The Greatest Canadian, media personality
Sook-Yin Lee compared him to a classic hero, Phidippides, the runner who delivered the news of
the Battle of Marathon before dying, and asserted that Fox “Embodies the most cherished Canadian
values: compassion, commitment, perseverance". She highlighted the juxtaposition between his
celebrity, brought about by the unforgettable image he created, and his rejection of the trappings
of that celebrity. Typically amongst Canadian icons, Fox is an unconventional hero, admired but not
without flaws. An obituary in the Canadian Family Physician emphasized his humanity and noted
that his anger—at his diagnosis, at press misrepresentations and at those he saw as encroaching on
his independence—spoke against ascribing sainthood for Fox, and thus placed his achievements
within the reach of all.
Interesting facts
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Terry Fox was the first non-royal person to appear on a
Canadian coin in 2005.
He loves wrestling!
If terry fox was to stand up in his grave, he would be
facing west, the direction to finish his marathon.
He died one month before his 23rd birthday in 1981
He is a national hero in Canada. There are numerous
streets, parks, buildings, and schools named for him.
Terry's favorite color was green.
Terry’s girlfriends name was one letter off from his name,
Jerry
Fox was a distance runner and basketball player for his
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, high school and Simon
Fraser University. His right leg was amputated in 1977
after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, though he
continued to run using an artificial leg. He also played
wheelchair basketball in Vancouver, winning three
national championships.
Port-Aux-Basques, NF
1,234 km
Highway 7, NS
May 15: 1,278 km
Sheet Harbor, NS
May 20: 1,373 km
Dartmouth, NS
May 26: 1,728 km
Charlottetown, PEI
• Newfound land – Ontario
May 29: 1,865 km
(Thunder bay)
Highway 2, west of Moncton, NB
June 6: 2,214 km
Bristol, NB
June 7: 2,256 km
Perth-Andover, NB
June 11: 2,426 km
Highway 185, QC
2,592 km
Highway 20, QC
June 15: 2,663 km
Quebec City, QC
June 23: 2,917 km
Montreal, QC
June 28: 3,030 km
Hawkesbury, ON
Just outside of Ottawa, ON
: 3,113 km
August 27: 5,153 km
Terrace Bay, ON
Sept 1: 5,373 km
Thunder Bay, ON
The map of where he ran
Resources
• http://www.terryfox.org/Foundation/The_Terr
y_Fox_Foundation.html
• http://www.google.ca/webhp?hl=en
• http://www.betterworldheroes.com/pagesf/fox-terry-quotes.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Fox