40th anniversary of Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope
Many Canadians consider Terry Fox a hero and continue to raise funds for cancer research in his name.
April 12, 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the beginning of Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run created by the athlete to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.
Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia where he enjoyed many sports during his teenage years. Fox was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a form of cancer that often begins at the knee, when he was 18 years old. His right leg was amputated and he underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
Rather than resign to his illness, Fox set out to inspire hope for others affected by the disease.
In 1980, Fox embarked on his iconic Marathon of Hope, setting out from St. John's, Newfoundland, with the goal of running 42 kilometres a day, the length of a full marathon.
Fox's determination was unstoppable. He ran in all weather conditions, battling gale force winds, heavy rain and snowstorms.
The path Terry Fox took on his Marathon of Hope marathon across Canada. He was forced to end his run outside of Thunder Bay. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
"He woke up every morning at 4:30 a.m. He wasn't able to roll over after looking at the window and seeing that the weather wasn't good," explained Darrel Fox, Terry's brother. "He had to get out there and run his 26 miles."
Sadly, Fox's trek across Canada was cut short that same year on September 1, when he suffered chest pains outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The cancer had appeared in his lungs and he was forced to end his run after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres. During this time he had raised nearly $1.7 million.
After months of treatment, Fox passed away on June 28, 1981 at the age of 22.
But his legacy lives on.
Millions of people in over 20 countries take part in the annual Terry Fox run, making it the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research.
"When Terry was diagnosed in 1977, he was told he had a 20 to 30 per cent chance of living," said his brother Darrel. "Today, he'd have over an 80 percent chance of living...for me that is extremely powerful. It can change history."
To date, more than $750 million has been raised for cancer research in Fox's name.
With files from Katie Jones