Terry Fox

On the morning of April 12, 1980, a teenager wearing the shirt that bore the words "Marathon of Hope" stood on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, on the coast of Newfoundland. There he dipped his artificial leg, made of steel and fiberglass, into the cold Atlantic waters and vowed that he would start running and keep running until he dipped his leg into the waters of the Pacific, on the other side of Canada. This teenager went by the name of Terry Fox and I believe he has not only encouraged thousands of disabled people to at least try to achieve their dreams, but also has saved the lives of many children who have developed osteogenic sarcoma throughout the years.

Terry was born in Winnipeg, Monitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Terry was a healthy and athletic kid. He was once Athlete of the Year in high school. Terry dreamt of becoming a professional athlete when he got older, but what he didn't realize that he was only going to live until he was 22.

At 18, Terry woke up one morning with sharp pains in his right leg, and as the days went on, it grew worse. Concerned, he checked himself into a local hospital. There the doctors did a few tests and found cancer in Terry's right knee. This disease is known as osteogenic sarcoma. Two days later, they amputated his right leg, 15 cm above the knee, to stop the cancer from spreading. The amputation did not end the problem though. Terry still had to undergo 18 months of chemotherapy and treatment with drugs. Soon after, Terry was fitted with an artificial leg made of steel and fiberglass.

Terry had to adjust to being a sports spectator instead of a player, and this was the hardest part for him. But he couldn't give up his dream. While recovering from the amputation and chemotherapy, Terry began to play basketball in a wheelchair and continued to think about the sports he loved. Every day, Terry got up in the morning and saw the tired and sad patients in the cancer ward. Many had given up hope, but Terry hadn't. He refused to give up, to stop dreaming. He thought that although they might have lost or were going to lose their arms and legs, they did not have to lose their courage or their willingness to fight the cancer.

In 1978 Terry was inspired by an article he read of a one-legged runner. Then Terry got an idea. He was going to run across Canada, wearing jogging shorts, so everyone could see his artificial leg. The whole purpose of this run would be to raise money for cancer research and to prove to the world that he was a fighter. No one took him seriously at first. Even his mother thought he was crazy. How could anyone with an artificial leg limp across a continent?

Terry had originally planned a 5,300 mile route. A route that would take him through the most populated areas. Terry was determined to do this. Terry got the backing of the Canadian Cancer Society, then he organized a fundraising dance and sought the support of businesses.

He began his training by hobbling a half mile a day. Then the next day he ran twice that distance. Over the next 14 months, he ran farther and farther. He had no coach or mentor and nobody to cheer him on. Terry kept training because he did not want to be a quitter. He wanted to make his dream come true. People in his hometown watched him as he hopped along the street everyday, struggling to keep moving on. Then the people began to believe him.

By April 1980, Terry had put in over 3,000 miles of training, 25-35 miles a day. On the morning of April 12, 1980, Terry stood on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, on the coast of Newfoundland. There he dipped his artificlal leg into the cold Atlantic waters and vowed to start running and keep running until he dipped his leg into the Pacific, on the other side of Canada. That morning and throughout the run Terry wore a shirt that read "Marathon of Hope."

Along the way Terry slept in the homes of friends or with people who volunteered to put him up for the night. He got up early each morning and started running again. On Sept 1st, Terry had to cut short his run when he began having trouble breathing. Terry collapsed on a road just west of Thunder Bay and was brought to a local hospital. There Terry was told that the cancer he thought he had cured had come back and spread into his lungs. On June 28th, Terry Fox died of lung cancer, one month short of his 23rd birthday. He had raised a total of $24.2 million for cancer reasearch.

Today, people with bone cancer or people who are developing it have a treatment. All thanks to Terry Fox, my hero.