Terry Fox
| Terry Fox | |
|---|---|
| Terrance Stanley Fox | |
| Born | 1958-07-28 Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Died | 1981-06-28 New Westminster, British Columbia |
| Occupation | Marathon runner; cancer-research fund-raiser |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
Terry Fox (28 July 1958 – 28 June 1981 (aged 22)), born Terrance Stanley Fox, was a Canadian marathon runner and cancer-research fund-raiser best known for the Marathon of Hope, his cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research, which ended near Thunder Bay, Ontario, in September 1980.
Early life
Fox was born in Winnipeg on 28 July 1958, the second child of Rolland (Rolly) Murray Fox and Betty Lou Wark. His siblings were an older brother Fred and younger siblings Darrell and Judith. In the mid-1960s the family relocated to Port Coquitlam, where Fox attended school. Despite initial physical limitations he developed a strong interest in competitive sports, particularly basketball. In the autumn of 1976 he enrolled in the kinesiology program at Simon Fraser University, intending to become a physical education teacher.[1]
Illness and athletic career
On 12 November 1976 Fox was involved in a car accident that caused knee pain; subsequent medical examination led to a diagnosis of osteogenic sarcoma on 3 March 1977. His right leg was amputated above the knee on 9 March 1977. During the period of chemotherapy that followed, wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen encouraged Fox to take up wheelchair basketball. Fox competed in the sport while undergoing treatment and won three national wheelchair basketball titles.[1]
Marathon of Hope
Inspired by the long-distance running achievement of American amputee Dick Traum, Fox developed a plan in 1979 to run across Canada on a prosthetic leg to raise money for cancer research. With his friend Doug Alward serving as driver of the support vehicle, Fox launched his Marathon of Hope on 12 April 1980, dipping his prosthetic leg in the Atlantic Ocean at St. John's.
The route took him through Newfoundland (completed 6 May 1980), Prince Edward Island (24–27 May), New Brunswick (27 May – 10 June), Nova Scotia (7–24 June), Quebec (10–28 June), and into Ontario. Fox attracted growing national attention; he met Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau on 4 July 1980. His arrival in Toronto on 11 July 1980 drew a crowd of approximately 10,000 people, and the Canadian Cancer Society estimated $100,000 was collected during Toronto events alone. Fox averaged approximately 42 kilometres per day throughout the run.[1]
Thunder Bay and the end of the run
On 1 September 1980, near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Fox began experiencing serious respiratory difficulty. Medical examination revealed that the cancer had spread to both lungs. He halted the Marathon of Hope that day, having covered 5,373 kilometres over 143 days. His forced stop near Thunder Bay became one of the most widely remembered moments in Canadian public life. A nationally televised telethon held shortly afterward raised $10 million. By 1 February 1981, total donations reached $24.7 million — his stated goal of one dollar for every Canadian.[1][2]
Honours
Fox received numerous honours in recognition of his run and its impact on cancer research fundraising. He was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada on 18 September 1980, becoming the youngest person to receive that distinction at the time. He also received the Order of the Dogwood from British Columbia (21 October 1980), the American Cancer Society's Sword of Hope Award (22 November 1980), the Lou Marsh Award as Canada's top athlete (18 December 1980), and was named newsmaker of the year by The Canadian Press (23 December 1980). He was posthumously inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame on 29 August 1981.[1]
Death
Fox died on 28 June 1981 in New Westminster, one month before his twenty-third birthday, following experimental treatments including interferon. A state funeral in British Columbia was nationally televised and attended by approximately 200 guests.[1]
Legacy
The Marathon of Hope transferred its funds to the National Cancer Institute of Canada. In 1988, the Fox family established the Terry Fox Foundation, which assumed management of fund-raising from the Canadian Cancer Society. By 2010, the annual Terry Fox Run, held in more than 750 locations across over 25 countries, had raised more than $600 million for cancer research. Statues of Fox stand in St. John's, Ottawa, Vancouver, Prince George, and Victoria, and his name has been given to a Canadian icebreaker, a highway, a mountain, and numerous schools and streets. A 1999 poll found him at the top of a list of Canadians' greatest heroes; a 2004 CBC survey ranked him second only to Tommy Douglas among the greatest Canadians.[1]
The Terry Fox Memorial and Lookout near Thunder Bay, on the Trans-Canada Highway, marks the location where he stopped his run.
Newspaper record
- Biographical notice in The Chronicle-Journal, 1980-05-20.[3]
- Index note: Walks for cancer.
- Biographical notice in The Chronicle-Journal, 1980-08-28.[4]
- Index note: Advert/almost in city.
- Biographical notice in The Chronicle-Journal, 1980-09-02.[5]
- Index note: Flu forces Fox to remain in city.
- Biographical notice in The Chronicle-Journal, 1980-09-03.[6]
- Index note: Cancer returns, stops run.
- Photo notice in The Chronicle-Journal, 1981-11-13.[7]
- Recorded as occurring 12 November 1981.
- Index note: Courage highway sign unveiled.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Julie Perrone."Julie Perrone, "Fox, Terrance Stanley," Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 21."[website].Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 21 (University of Toronto/Université Laval).2018.University of Toronto/Université Laval.Link.(Rights: copyrighted | Access: open)
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 29 June 1981, p. 1
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 20 May 1980, p. 21
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 28 August 1980, p. 3
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 2 September 1980, p. 1
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 3 September 1980, p. 1
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 13 November 1981, p. 1