On April 12, 1980, Terry Fox began his cross-Canada marathon to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Terry Fox suffered from osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that caused him to lose one of his legs and have to replace it with an artificial one. Despite his illness, Terry was determined to make a difference in the world, and he began his Marathon of Hope in St. John’s Newfoundland to raise money for cancer research. His goal was to run a full marathon each day, eventually reaching Victoria, British Columbia, and along the way, to raise $1 for each of Canada’s 24 million people in the name of cancer research. Unfortunately, Terry was forced to end his run after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres just outside of Thunder Bay when his cancer was found to have spread to his lungs. He died on June 28, 1981 at the age of 22, but not without touching the hearts of countless people across Canada, and the world.
