Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 - June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, cancer victim & activist. His name is one of the most recognizable in the country.
Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and was raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. After losing his leg to cancer, the young athlete decided to run from coast to coast in order to raise money for cancer research. Beginning by dipping his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean at St. John's, Newfoundland, he aimed to dip it again in the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver, British Columbia.
He could not finish his run, however, as the cancer spread to his lungs and he abandoned the course near Marathon, Ontario, near Thunder Bay. He died soon afterwards. However, his Marathon of Hope captured the nation's attention who proclaimed him a national hero, and it and the annual Terry Fox Run events organized all across Canada, in the United States, and in other countries around the world, have raised more than $300-million for cancer research.
Terry Fox's heroism has inspired other Canadians to similar feats in the name of charitable causes. This has included Steve Fonyo, another runner who also had a leg amputated due to cancer and who retraced the same route of Terry Fox and then proceeded to complete the run to the west coast in the name of cancer research. A close friend of Fox, Rick Hansen, a paraplegic athlete, was also inspired by Terry to make his own trek around the world in his wheelchair to raise funds for spinal injury research.
In a public opinion poll Terry Fox was voted the most famous Canadian of the 20th Century.
Honours For Terry Fox
September 18, 1980 Terry Fox was made the youngest Companion of the Order of Canada in history for his outstanding contribution to the cause of cancer research.
October 21, 1980 The Province of British Columbias highest civilian award.
- The Sword of Hope - United States of America
- The Lou Marsh Award
- Canadian of the Year
- Terry Fox Gold Medal
- Mount Terry Fox
- Terry Fox Courage Highway
- Terry Fox Humanitarian Award
- Canadian Sports Hall of Fame
- Terry Fox Stamp
- Thunder Bay Monument
- \'Terry Fox Secondary School'
- CCGS Terry Fox
- Canada's Greatest Hero
External link
http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/home/default.asp?s=1