A Legacy that Touched the Heart of a Nation
Featuring Terry Fox and the Marathon of Hope
Terry Fox
Sport: Athletics
Category:WAC Bennett
Facts
- Terry Fox began his ‘Marathon of Hope’ in 1979, with the intention of raising 24 million dollars for cancer research, one dollar for every Canadian. Little did he realize that he was creating an “enduring legacy” that would continue long after his passing – surpassing his expectations and touching the heart of a nation.
- In the 1970s only 1 in 5 people with Terry’s type of cancer (osteogenic sarcoma tumours) were cured, usually by amputation. Thanks to advancements in cancer research most now survive.
- Terry ran a marathon every day for 143 days completing 5,373 kilometres before having to stop outside Thunder Bay, Ontario, due to a recurrence of the cancer that eventually took his young life.
