Terry Fox

Graph describing Terry Fox (created by Logan using Inspiration 8)

I chose Terry Fox as my hero. His full name is Terrance Stanley Fox. Terry Fox was born July 28, 1958 in Winnipeg, Manitoba but was raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, outside of Vancouver. His parents were named Rolly and Betty Fox. His family included his older brother Fred, his younger brother Darrell and his younger sister Judith. His family became very involved in the Terry Fox Foundation after Terry died. Terry liked gym in school the most. Terry wanted to be a gym teacher when he grew up. Terry was very athletic and was awesome at baseball, rugby and basketball. He played many of those sports with his friend Doug Alward. Terry tried out for the Simon Fraser University basketball team. Player Mike McNeill said Fox outshone players who were more talented than Terry because he showed more drive. That is only one part of Terry’s life. His happy future turned into a nightmare when he turned eighteen and his dreams and ambitions changed. Find out how in paragraph two.

Terry Fox Running (drawing by Logan)

When Terry was eighteen years old he got the awful disease of cancer and his leg was amputated. The remarkable thing that Terry did was in 1980 when he was 22. Terry believed that nothing was impossible. He began raising money for cancer research by starting a run called “The Marathon of Hope” across Canada to save people from that evil, rotten cancer. The run started on April 12, 1980 in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I admire Terry the most because he was unselfish. He did not only want to help himself, but he wanted to help millions of people with cancer. Terry was hopeful because he believed cancer could be cured. He was very brave because his artificial leg sometimes hurt, but he never gave up and kept running every day. He had no mentor but his friend Doug Alward helped him by driving behind Terry when he was running to see if he was okay. He was also good friends with Rick Hansen, who got Terry playing wheelchair basketball after his leg was amputated. Terry was athletic because in school he rocked at basketball. He would not have been able to start running across Canada if he was not athletic and in good shape. He was young which also helped him to be strong to run. Of all his traits, I think being brave helped him the most because he needed to be very brave to run like he did.

I do not think that Terry had any traits that gave him any difficulties. Terry made no bad decisions that I know of, and he had no enemies because everyone liked and admired him. It is true that he was sick because he had bone cancer when he was 18 and it turned into lung cancer. But, being sick is what made him decide to run and raise so much money. Terry had to stop running in Thunder Bay after 143 days because he felt sick. The doctor said that the cancer had spread to his lungs and he died young at age 23, on June 28, 1981 in Vancouver.

Terry Fox receiving the Order of Canada (drawing by Logan)

Terry was so inspiring that, after he started running, people joined in the “Marathon of Hope.” The first annual Terry Fox run happened in September of 1981. The Terry Fox Foundation was set up to collect and give out money from the runs, and to keep the integrity of Terry Fox in the fundraising. By 1988, the Foundation had become independent and separate from the Canadian Cancer Society. Up to now, the Foundation had raised over $400,000,000 for cancer research. Terry’s family is very involved in the Foundation. Terry’s mom is the Honorary Chair, and does a lot of speaking to schools across Canada. In 2001, she was awarded an honorary degree from Simon Fraser University for her great work with the Foundation. In 1990, Terry Fox’s brother, Darrell Fox, started working at the Foundation and became the National Director. Terry’s sister, Judith, became the International Director. Even today in September, we have a Terry Fox Run!

Terry Fox - A Canadian Hero (Terry Fox Run NYC - www.nyc.gov)

I think a hero is someone to look up to. A hero inspires us to be better. I think a hero needs to be unselfish and needs to do things for the good of other people. Terry was a hero because he has helped many people who have cancer. A hero needs to do something good for the world. Terry was helpful and nice because if he had not been born many people would have been dead that are alive now in 2009. Even though Terry is dead, he still inspires people and lots of money has been raised for cancer research. Any famous person cannot be a hero. For example, Britney Spears is popular but not a hero. After Terry had to stop running, he went back to British Columbia to try to fight his lung cancer. Terry Fox received many awards and recognition. Before he died, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. He was the youngest person to get that award. He was named “Newsmaker of the Year” by the Canadian Press in 1980, and won the Lou Marsh trophy for outstanding athletic achievement. He even had a mountain named after him in British Columbia. In 2005, his picture was put on Canadian dollars because it was the twenty-fifth anniversary of his run across Canada. These are a few examples of how he as been recognized. I chose Terry Fox as my hero because he is a famous Canadian hero who has done so much to make the world better by trying to cure cancer. The lesson I learned from Terry is that anything is possible if you try and you should never give up. I have also learned that one person can make a big difference in the world.

Terry playing basketball in highschool (drawing by Logan)

Works Cited

"About Terry Fox - Terry Fox Day - Simon Fraser University." SFU.ca. 29 Mar. 2009 .

CBC. "CBC News Indepth: Terry Fox." CBC.ca - Canadian News Sports Entertainment Kids Docs Radio TV. 27 June 2006. 29 Mar. 2009 .

MacQueen, Ken. "25th Anniversary of Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope." The Canadian Encyclopedia. 4 Apr. 2005. 29 Mar. 2009 .

"SFU Honorary Degree Citations." sfu.ca. 4 Oct. 2001. 29 Mar. 2009 .

"The Terry Fox Foundation - La Fondation Terry Fox." The Terry Fox Foundation - La Fondation Terry Fox. 29 Mar. 2009 .

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