Terryfox

Terrance Stanley Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on July 28th 1958. He was raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia and was very athletic. He came home complaining of a searing pain in his right knee after running around the track. X-rays confirmed he a rare form of bone cancer, steogenic sarcoma, a cancerous tumor that makes the bone go soft. As a result, his right leg had to be amputated six inches above his knee. Fox learned how to use an artificial leg, and three weeks after surgery, he was walking. During his recovery, he developed the idea for the "Marathon of Hope". The "Marathon of Hope" was to consist of a run across Canada to raise both money and awareness for cancer research. What he didn't know at the time, was that stray sarcoma cells often end up in the lungs and don't show up on scans for some time.

Fox was very determined little boy who never liked to miss a day of school. He blossomed into an athlete during junior high school, the same time he met his friend Doug Alward. The boys played baseball, rugby and basketball. By grade 12, Fox and Alward would share the Athlete of the Year Award. Fox graduated from Port Coquitlam High School with distinction.

He wanted to be a physical education teacher and enrolled in Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Vancouver. There, he tried out for the SFU basketball team. Player Mike McNeill said Fox outshone players who were more talented because he showed more drive.

Terry Fox began his run on April 12th 1980 in St-John's, Newfoundland. He dipped his prosthetic leg in the Atlantic Ocean hoping that he would eventually be able to dip it into the Pacific. In the beginning, he drew little attention, but as time passed, his campaign gained momentum as donations began to steadily mount. His goal: $1 for every Canadian.

Fox sent letters to various companies soliciting their sponsorship. The final sentence of his letter was: "Ð'...I'm not saying that this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to."

His best-friend Doug Alward joined Terry on his journey. They had gotten into many arguments. Fox called his mother and she flew into Halifax with them. His younger brother Darrell then joined Terry. He was a prankster and helped lighten the mood.

They reached Quebec on June 10, but none of the boys could speak French. They had no idea how to ask for a shower and went five days without a wash. Fox hit bottom as they reached mid-June. Drivers would ignore him, speeding past. In his journal entry, he would vent: "Ð'... people are continually forcing me off the road. I was actually honked off once Ð'... It is wearisome. Mental Breakdown." But when he arrived to Montreal thing