Terry Fox: A Canadian Hero

Many Canadian heroes have influenced the world and Canadian history. One of the Canadian heroes is Terry Fox. He was an ordinary person who later became a Canadian national hero. Although Terry Fox had lost his right leg, he ran the marathon of hope across the country to raise one dollar for each Canadian for cancer research . Through the marathon of hope, he displayed hope, determination, and courage to complete his goal regardless of the pain and the weather conditions. Significant events and achievements in Terry Fox’s life have influenced the world greatly and made him a historically important person.

Terry Fox was born on July 28, 1958, in Winnipeg, Manitoba but he grew up in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. As a teenager, he was involved

Terry Fox was inspired by Dick Traum and decided that he would run a marathon across Canada to money for cancer research. Throughout his chemotherapy treatment, he had seen many people suffering and dying from cancer and decided to do something to help those people. Terry Fox had shared his idea of running a marathon to help raise money for cancer research with his parents. In 1979, his training for the marathon had started, using an artificial leg. In August 19792, he ran 272 km marathon in Prince George, BC. His marathon of hope started on April 12, 19802. In the Atlantic Ocean at St. John's, Newfoundland, Terry dipped his artificial leg when he started the marathon. He began his run, but the weather was not supportive; on the first day, it started raining, and eventually he had to deal with the snowstorm. He was disappointed by the weather, but in Port Aux Basque, he met ten thousand people who gave him more than ten thousand dollars that they had collected for cancer research. When he ran through the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec, he had gained a lot of attention and support from the people. As he had reached Ontario, he had become a national star. He had also met the Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, a British actor Maggie Smith and NHL players Bobby Orr and Darryl Settler (who gave his 1980 all-star NHL sweater to Terry

Today Terry Fox has become a Canadian national hero for many people. Terry Fox proved to the world that anyone in the world is capable of making a difference and it does not matter if he or she has a disability. Every year there is a Terry Fox run across the country to remember the great Canadian national hero. On Sept 13, 1981 , the first Terry Fox run took place and over 300,000 Canadians participated in the run. $3.5 million5 were raised from the run. In 20085, the Terry Fox run was held in 285 countries such as Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Malaysia, France, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United States and Belgium. Over two million5 people participated in the run. After Terry Fox's death, his family is determined to achieve Terry's goal of finding a cure for cancer and raising money for cancer research. In 19885, the Terry Fox Foundation was established. The purpose of the Terry Fox Foundation was to accept grant applications for cancer research. In Canada, the Terry Fox runs have funded more than 1,1005 research projects. The research projects have led to improvements in imaging technology. The life expectancy of males with prostate cancer has increased. Also, a new mutation has been discovered which could lead to advancement in the treatment of lymphoma. In addition, chances of survival for people who are diagnosed with lung cancer have increased due to the improvements in early the screening