Terrance Stanley (Terry) Fox

Terry Fox running

My hero is Terrance Stanley “Terry” Fox. He lost his leg when he was a teenager by cancer. He was affected by the amount of suffering he saw in the cancer ward and decided that, “Somewhere the hurting must stop.” He decided to run all across Canada to collect money for cancer and to give hope to people with cancer.

His plan was to run about 42 km a day, the distance of a typical marathon. The marathon he ran was called the “Marathon of Hope.” During his running, his brother and his best friend accompanied him with a van in which they slept. Along the way they were asking money to people, in some places they didn’t get even one dollar. But when he became famous he started collecting around 500 dollars a day.

When he became famous, less people with cancer were dying. He was the Canadian hero. He appeared on television running around Canada. He told his story, and gave hope to people with cancer. Terry Fox started feeling very badly. Doctors revealed that Terry’s right lung had a lump the size of a golf ball and his left lung had another lump the size of a lemon. The lumps were not lung cancer; they were bone cancer that went into his lungs through his bloodstream. He was forced to stop the marathon on September 1st 1980, after 143 days. He had run 5,373 km. A few months later he died at the age of 23.

He lifted a nation through his courage and generosity. He is one of Canada’s greatest heroes. Nowadays every September there is a Marathon of Hope on his honour.

I believe Terry Fox is a hero because although he had only one leg, he showed with his courage that if you are determined to do something, trying your very best, you will make it. He saved many people and taught them that life doesn’t end if you have cancer, it must go on. You only need to have hope, courage and always try your very best and you will make it.