Terrance Stanley Fox: A Great Canadian Athlete

Terrance Stanley Fox was a great Canadian athlete who overcame what life threw at him – and just wouldn’t quit. He was a man with a dream - and that dream was to run across Canada. With one real and one artificial leg, Terry embarked on his Marathon of Hope. Running across Canada was his way to show the world that he was not going out without a fight. Terry Fox has shown Canada and the rest of the world that one person can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on July 28, 1958 but moved to and was raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia at a young age. He was the second of four children. Terry was never one to give up. “In grade 8, he was the worst player on his basketball team. In fact, he only got one minute of playing time all
The beginning was tough. He spent most of his time falling down and picking himself up. He kept going, though, and after more than a year, and over 4,800 kilometres of running, he announced his plans to his family. His goal was for every Canadian to donate just one dollar to his cause. His cross-country run, the Marathon of Hope, began on April 12, 1980, when he dipped his artificial leg into the cold Atlantic off St. John 's, Newfoundland. Skeptics thought he would never make it past New Brunswick, but he proved them wrong and Terry Fox became a household name. “Terry 's distinctive hop-skip run carried him through nearly a marathon distance (42km) every single day, rain or shine” (The Courage of Terry Fox). Along the way, as word of his cause spread, people lined the streets, applauding and urging him on. And giving money. Terry was inspired by the crowds, toughing out the pain of sores and abrasions under his artificial leg. He passed through Sudbury, Ontario, in August, the halfway point on his journey west. But sadly, on September 1, 1980 he began coughing and developed a pain in his chest. Neither resting nor