Terry Fox

I chose Terry Fox as my Hero because he was selfless, kind and giving. Although he was close to death he kept running for people less or more fortunate than him. Not many people would do that if they were in his situation. To me that is what makes a hero!

Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, July 28, 1958. Terry lived in Winnipeg with his parents are Rolly and Betty Fox. He had an older brother, Fred, a younger brother, Darrel, and sister named Judith. Terry also had a good friend, Doug Alward. Both of them had a strong passion for sports, especially basketball.

3 years after losing his leg, Terry decided to run across Canada to raise awareness about cancer. Terry trained for months. Then on April 12, 1980, he began his run across Canada. He took 2 empty glass jugs and filled them with the Atlantic Ocean's water, planning to empty them in the Pacific Ocean at the end of his run. At first not many people knew about Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope. Along the way people saw Terry and donated towards cancer research. Terry also attended events along the way. He gave speeches and went to interviews. By the time he reached Toronto, Terry had raised about 100,000 to fight cancer. Terry Fox was, and still is a symbol of hope to all Canadians.

Terry Fox is considered a national hero. Many buildings, roads, and parks have been named in Terry Fox's honour across the country. Today, the Terry Fox Run is the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research. Canadians have raised over $500,000 in his name so far!

Thanks for reading -  April Westcott