Terry Fox: The Marathon of Hope

When Terry Fox began his run across Canada on April 12, 1980, he dipped his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. A couple of photographers from the local paper were there, along with maybe six or eight people clapping. That was it. He planned to run roughly a marathon every single day until he reached Vancouver, raising money for cancer research along the way. He was 21 years old, had already lost his right leg to bone cancer, and had been told by his doctor that he had an enlarged heart. He kept quiet about the dizzy spells and double vision he was already experiencing.

From Cancer Diagnosis to a Daring Plan

Terry Stanley Fox was born in Winnipeg on July 28, 1958, and his family soon moved to Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, outside Vancouver. As a kid, he was small for his age and not a natural athlete, but he was famously determined. In eighth grade, he played one minute of basketball all season. By tenth grade, he was a starting guard. By his senior year, he was voted co-athlete of the year alongside his best friend Doug Alwart.