Born in
Winnipeg,
Manitoba Terry Fox was one of
Canada's greatest
heroes.
In
1977, at the
age of 18, Terry was
diagnosed with
cancer and had his leg partially
amputated because of it. During his
hospital stay Terry heard about an
amputee in
New York that had taken part in a
marathon. This story
inspired him so much that in
1980 Terry decided to run across
Canada on his new
prosthetic limb. The run was dubbed the
Marathon of Hope, and its goal was to
raise money and
awareness for
cancer research.
Terry started his
marathon alone in
Newfoundland on April 12 of
1980. As he ran, more and more attention was drawn to his quest, and soon the
eyes of the entire nation were watching. As he ran westward, Terry was able to travel an average of 43
kilometers a day.
Sadly, on September 1 of
1980, after 143 days and 5,373
kilometers, he was forced to stop near
Thunder Bay,
Ontario because of the
reappearance of his
cancer.
Terry passed away on June 28 of
1981 at the age of 22.
Terry Fox's
Marathon of Hope still continues today in his
honor, and has raised approximately
$250 million worldwide for
cancer research.