Terry Fox began his iconic Marathon of Hope 36 years ago today
On April 12, 1980, Terry Fox began his memorable cross-Canada run, named the Marathon of Hope, in Newfoundland.
On This Day – In 1980. Canadian legend, Terry Fox began his “Marathon of Hope” in St . John’s, Newfoundland. pic.twitter.com/HOdjFQvj1Y
— Vintage Marketplace (@TheVintageMP) April 12, 2016
Today marks the 36th anniversary of Terry Fox dipping his right leg into the Atlantic Ocean, which marked the start of the Marathon of Hope. One of the greatest ever Canadians began the cross-country journey on April 12, 1980 near St. John’s, N.L. in an effort to raise money for cancer research.
Born July 28, 1958, Fox was an avid distance runner and basketball player in Port Coquitlam, B.C, where he went to high school before attending Simon Fraser University.
He was later diagnosed in 1977 with osteosarcoma, a cancer that begins in the bones, and doctors were forced to amputate his right leg above his knee. He ran the entire Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada journey, with a prosthetic leg.
His initial goal was to have every Canadian donate one dollar. He ran through all four Atlantic Canada provinces, Quebec, and was a national icon by the time he arrived in Ontario. Running a marathon a day for 143 days, Fox covered 5,373 kilometres before being forced to stop outside of Thunder Bay, Ont on the first day of September when the cancer spread to his lungs.
He passed away on June 28, 1981. He was 22.
He became the youngest person ever named to the Order of Canada, the second-highest honour of merit in Canada, and has many elementary and high schools named in his honour. He won the Lou Marsh Trophy in 1980, an annual award given to Canada’s top athlete.
My photo of #TerryFox shot from inside his Marathon of Hope van west of Sudbury, wow 33 years ago. This is a hero. pic.twitter.com/E80E4YHhXu
— Ken MacQueen (@kmqyvr) September 14, 2013
The annual Terry Fox Run, named in the curly-haired, Winnipeg-born’s honour, has raised more than $650 million since it was first held in 1981. The Terry Fox Run is non-competitive charity event held at schools and communities across Canada each September.
RELATED: Interactive feature – Terry Fox: 35 Years of the Marathon of Hope.
He’s considered one of the most famous Canadians and his legacy continues to live on annually through the Terry Fox Run.
Below are some of Fox’s most memorable quotes from the Marathon of Hope:
“Some people can’t figure out what I’m doing. It’s not a walk-hop, it’s not a trot, it’s running, or as close as I can get to running, and it’s harder than doing it on two legs. It makes me mad when people call this a walk. If I was walking it wouldn’t be anything.”
“It took cancer to realize that being self-centered is not the way to live. The answer is to try and help others.”
“Even if I don’t finish, we need others to continue. It’s got to keep going without me.”
Check out Canadian Running‘s interactive feature on the Marathon of Hope below (from 2015):
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