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Terry Stanly Fox

by Colette from Sydney

Terrance (Terry) Stanley Fox was born on July 28th, 1958 in Winnipeg Manitoba to Betty and Rolly Fox, he was the second child out of four. His family moved to Port Coquitlam before Terry started school. Even as a child, Terry was very patient and perseverent. He enjoyed playing games which lasted a long time, and by the age of twelve he was buying his own back to school clothes with the money he'd earned picking berrys over the summer. Terry is remebered by his eight grade phys-ed teacher as "the little guy that worked his rear off" he wasn't the best runner, nor the worst; however, it was a different story on the basketball court. In the eighth grade Terry was ranked the nineteeth player on the Mary Hill Cobra's basket ball team, out of nineteen players. That summer he practiced mercilisly, and in the nineth grade he'd run to school every day to practice before school started. By the tenth Grade, Terry was playing on the starting line.

On march 9th, 1977 the Fox family was devistated to find out that their energetic, high spirited son and brother had a cancerous tumor in his right leg, and amputation was required. During his stay in the hospital, Terry was touched by many of the cancer patients he came into contact with, most of them children. After Terry's leg was amputated he worked very hard to learn how to walk again. He'd pick himself up off the floor after every fall, and work harder until he could walk without tumbeling.

Shortly after Terry's leg was amputated he came up with an idea to raise money for Cancer research and awareness. His idea was to run across Canada, and to earn one dollar from every canadian, which he would put completly toward Cancer Research. He began Training for his Marathon of hope in 1979. He told his family that he was training to run in the Bosten Marathon, he wanted to make sure that he would be able to run across Canada before he told anyone.

On April 12, 1980 Terry dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean to signify the beginning of his cross-Canada run. He ran an Average of 26 miles a day through six provinces. Terry would often stop to deliver emotional speeaches to the public about his journey which inspired many people, young and old to take action in the fight against cancer.

Unfortunatly,on day 143, just out side of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Terry had to stop the run due to sevear pains in his chest. These pains would prove to be Terrys primary cancer resurfacing in his lungs. A nation was shocked and saddened.Dispite a tireless effort to fight the cancer, and chemotherapy and interferon treatments, Terry lost his battle with Cancer.

Terry may not have been able to achieve his dream of running across Canada, but he was able to raise over 24.7 million doallrs for cancer research.

Terry Fox is my hero because he didn't let anything stand in his way, and no matter what happened he was able to keep a positive out look on life.

Page created on 8/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 8/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

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