Pete briefly told the story of Terry Fox a little while ago, but I think it deserves it's own thread. Looking for a little inspiration? Here's a little something I took from the website that might help.
Terry's Journey: The Marathon of Hope
Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and forced to have his right leg amputated six inches above the knee in 1977.
The night before his operation, Terry read an article about an amputee who had competed in the New York Marathon. Indirectly that story, along with Terry's observations of the intense suffering of cancer patients, set the stage for what would ultimately become the most important decision of his young life.
In 1980, Terry Fox inspired the nation by attempting to run across Canada on an artificial leg. He called this quest the Marathon of Hope. Its mission was to raise money and awareness for cancer research in Canada.
With little fanfare, Terry started his journey in St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980. Although it was difficult to garner attention in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along his route began to mount. He ran 43 kilometres a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario.
It was a journey that Canadians never forgot.
However, on September 1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, Terry was forced to stop his Run outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because the cancer had reappeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at age 22.
The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning.
To date, an estimated $270 million worldwide has been raised for cancer research in Terry's name.
www.terryfoxrun.org
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