
Terry Fox came from ordinary circumstances, as a resident of British Columbia born in 1958, but the legacy of his work toward funding cancer research has made him a Canadian hero. Terry loved sports, especially basketball and running. This made his diagnosis more tragic and difficult for him to deal with.
At only eighteen years old, he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, or bone cancer. Since cancer treatments at his time were not as developed as they are today, his right leg was amputated above his knee.
Terry went through treatment with a positive attitude, and he noticed the suffering of his fellow patients, with a special place in his heart for the children diagnosed with such a devastating disease as cancer. He believed that things could be different if only the science of preventing and treating cancer was developed. He made this his personal mission by setting out on the Marathon of Hope in 1980.
The Marathon of Hope involved Terry running across Canada so that he could bring attention to the need for funding cancer research. Since his leg was amputated, he used a prosthetic leg, or a fake leg.
Rather than waiting for the government to fund the effort, his run spoke directly to the Canadian public, who responded with donations in kind. He started in Newfoundland, all the way to the East of Canada, and intended to run all the way to British Columbia.
His goal of drawing attention to the need to fund cancer research worked – news writers and producers followed him along the way.
Due to his cancer’s growth, he had to stop in Ontario. Nine months after he stopped the Marathon of Hope, he passed away at age 22. However, his legacy does not end there. Instead, the Terry Fox Foundation was established, and it has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research.
In schools across Canada, students today take part in Terry Fox runs in honour of his legacy. While you may be an international student, and have not taken part in a Terry Fox run, Å·ÃÀ¾«Æ·ÊÓÆµ Library would like to invite you to participate in the following events:
Event Overview by Date
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| April 12, 2025 | Port Coquitlam Community Centre | |
| September 13, 2025 | Port Coquitlam Community Centre | |
| September 14, 2025 | Mundy Park, Coquitlam | |
| September 15, 2025 | Hyde Creek Recreation Centre | |
| September 18, 2025 | SFU Burnaby, Vancouver & Surrey |
Å·ÃÀ¾«Æ·ÊÓÆµ acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xÊ·məθkwÉ™y̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and SÉ™lÌ“ÃlwÉ™taÊ”/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
Å·ÃÀ¾«Æ·ÊÓÆµ acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xÊ·məθkwÉ™y̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and SÉ™lÌ“ÃlwÉ™taÊ”/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.