Terry Fox - A Canadian Hero

Today is day 15 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge for July.  So far I'm on track with posting everyday as I take you along on a journey learning about Canada (I've learned a fair bit as well this month.)

 I was 19 when I first heard about Terry Fox. I picked up a newspaper one day and saw a photo buried near the back of the paper - a young man with curly hair, dipping his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean in Newfoundland. There was something about the image that stuck with me. I didn’t know his full story yet, but I was instantly a fan. As I read more about his plan to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research, I found myself cheering him on from that moment.  I was excited at the thought of maybe seeing him in person if he was able to make it as far as Toronto.

Who Was Terry Fox?

At 18, Terry was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Doctors had to amputate his right leg above the knee. Most people would’ve taken time to heal, but during his recovery, he was deeply moved by the other patients he saw - especially the kids going through cancer treatments. That experience ignited something inside him. He decided that once he was back on his feet, he would run across Canada to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

It sounds impossible, right? One leg, one prosthetic, and a plan to run a marathon a day across the second-largest country in the world. But Terry didn’t see it that way. He just saw it as something that he could do to help others.

The Marathon of Hope

He began in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in April 1980, with little fanfare. Just him, his team (his brother and a friend), and the open road. At first, few people noticed. But slowly, as he passed through small towns and into bigger cities, word spread. Canadians were drawn to his story, his determination, and his cause. People lined the streets to cheer him on. Local radio stations tracked his progress. The donations started to pour in.

He ran an average of 42 kilometers every single day. Good weather, and bad, he kept running. And each step brought him closer to his dream of crossing the country and raising a dollar from every Canadian.

When the Run Stopped—The Inspiration Didn’t

Terry made it through the Maritimes, Quebec, and into Ontario. But just outside of Thunder Bay, he was forced to stop. The cancer had returned, this time in his lungs. He had run more than 5,300 kilometers over 143 days. The entire country felt the heartbreak when he announced he could no longer continue.

Terry passed away the following June, just 22 years old. But even though he didn’t get to finish his run, he had already achieved something incredible. He’d raised over $24 million - almost exactly what he had hoped for. But more importantly, he’d united Canadians around a cause that touched everyone.

Why He Still Matters

Every year, schools and communities across Canada and around the world host Terry Fox Runs. There are no medals or finish lines - just people walking or running together to continue what Terry started. To date, over $850 million has been raised in his name for cancer research.

Terry once said, “Even if I don’t finish, we need others to continue. It’s got to keep going.” And it has. Because his story still inspires us to believe in the power of one person to make a difference.

Photo by Carol Fung on Unsplash

Many Years Later, He Lives On

In 2018 we travelled up to Thunder Bay, Ontario.  Not far from the spot that Terry had to give up his Marathon of Hope, lies a memorial to this Canadian Hero.  We spent a fair bit of time, in silence,  remembering him and the sacrifice he made so many years ago.

That newspaper photo I saw all those years ago? It became more than just an image. It marked the start of one of the most powerful, heartfelt movements in Canadian history. Terry Fox wasn’t a superstar athlete, or a politician, or someone seeking fame. He was just a regular young man with a passion and a determination that continues to ripple across generations.