One of Canada’s greatest heroes never fought a war. He was not a scientist, and he was never a political leader. However, by running in what he called the Marathon of Hope, Terry Fox made the entire country proud.
Terry Fox grew up in the town of Port Coquitlam, near the city of Vancouver. Terry was an extremely active and diligent child. From a very early age, no matter what he did, he always worked hard and tried to do his best.
Terry especially loved to compete and play sports. In high school he wanted to play on the basketball team, but he was too short, and he was a terrible player. However, that didn’t discourage him. Instead Terry started getting up early each morning to practice his basketball skills. By tenth grade Terry had improved so much, he earned a spot on the high school team! By his senior year, he was considered one of the best basketball players—and athletes—in the whole school.
In 1977, when he was just 18 years old, Terry faced another difficult challenge. Doctors discovered that he had bone cancer. In order to save his life, his right leg would have to be amputated above the knee. On the night before his amputation, a former coach brought Terry an article about amputee runners. Inspired by the story, Terry decided that he would also learn to run one day.
Being in the hospital affected Terry deeply. All around him were children in pain and others who were dying. It was hard for him to watch this suffering without doing anything. So soon Terry had a new dream: first he would learn how to run with his artificial leg. Then he would run all the way across Canada. It would be a "Marathon of Hope" to collect money to help cancer patients.
Wherever he went, Terry told people about his Marathon of Hope. He explained that he wanted to collect one dollar from every person in Canada to help find a cure for cancer. If he met his goal, he could raise 24 million dollars—a lot of money for cancer research! He said he was determined to take himself to the limit for this cause.
Most people thought that Terry’s dream was impossible. Canada is a huge country; to run from one end to the other meant running thousands of miles! Plus, Terry was recovering from cancer and had an artificial leg. How could he possibly accomplish such a difficult feat? But Terry was once again determined. After more than one year of intense training, he was finally ready to run.
On April 12, 1980, he stood in St. John, Newfoundland, on the east coast of Canada, and dipped his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean. Then he filled two large bottles with ocean water. He wanted to keep one bottle as a souvenir. He planned to pour the other bottle into the Pacific Ocean when he reached the west coast at the end of his run!
Terry’s marathon started as a very low-key event. He ran alone, though a friend was with him to help with cooking and to drive the van where he slept some nights. It was not an easy journey. Terry ran through ice storms, summer heat, and fierce winds. Each day he ran an average of 42 kilometers. Sometimes he fell down from exhaustion or pain.
At first a small number of people supported Terry and his quest. But as he ran westward along his course, more and more people learned about his dream. Soon people were lining the roads along his route, shouting his name and cheering him on. In some towns schoolchildren ran with him. Donations from people inspired by his strength and his courage poured in.
After running for 143 days and 5,373 kilometers, Terry felt pain in his chest and he was forced to stop in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread to his lungs and now he needed medical treatment.
When his run ended, Terry had made it only halfway across the huge country. But he had inspired many people. And his dream to raise money for cancer research came true. He had managed to raise over 24 million dollars!
Terry also received many awards, including the Order of Canada, a high honor given to people who try to make the world a better place. He was the youngest person ever to receive this award.
On June 28, 1981, at the age of 22, Terry Fox died. But he still lives in the hearts of Canadian people as a great hero. His story and amazing accomplishments have been celebrated in books and movies, and across Canada, there are buildings, roads, ships, and even schools named after him. Today the Terry Fox Foundation continues his race by raising money to help find a cure for cancer.