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Terry Fox

by Kayla from Edmonton


Heroes inspire us. It has been said that, “A hero is someone who is willing to put himself or herself on the line to help others. Heroes are often ordinary people who make extraordinary decisions in times of crisis." Terry Fox is my hero because he helped raised money for cancer by running over 3,339 miles.

Terry Fox was born on July 28th 1958 in Winnipeg Manitoba. After being diagnosed with cancer, Terry Fox ran 3,338.6 miles from Newfoundland to Thunder Bay, Ontario, to raise money for cancer research. People all over Canada helped Terry by donating money towards the Terry Fox Foundation. Terry started his run in St. Johns, Newfoundland on April 12th 1970 with little fanfare. Unfortunately, on September 1st, after 143 days and 5.373 kilometers, Terry had to stop running just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Terry’s cancer had spread from his leg, and appeared in his lungs. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at the age of 22.

Today, more than $400 million dollars has been raised worldwide for cancer research on behalf of Terry, through the annual Terry Fox Run. The Terry Fox Run is held across Canada and around the world. The Terry Fox Run attracted over 300,000 participants across Canada and raised over 3.5 million dollars. The annual Terry Fox run is held every September, usually on the second Sunday following our Labor Day.


Terry Fox was an inspiration to many of us. To me Terry helped me believe that, if you put effort into it you can do anything. Terry Fox raised a lot of money towards cancer. He helped me realize that even though you have cancer or any disease, it doesn't mean that you can't do anything, as long as you put your mind to it.

A suggestion that I am going to make to honour my hero is to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation by doing a fundraiser at our school.

Page created on 5/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 5/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

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