Photo: YouTube
A cancer diagnosis can be life-changing for anyone.
Canadian Terry Fox, however, was a different kind of man.
Fox startedMarathon of Hope, running the distance of a marathon each and every day.
Photo: YouTube
His legacy of perseverance and determination to raise money forcancer researchstill heroically lives on today.
Fox was first diagnosed with a kind of cancer calledosteo sarcomawhile attending university in 1977.
His leg was amputated above the knee pretty soon after he received the shocking news.
Photo: YouTube
Fox began to use anartificial leg,and quickly learned to run on it.
By 1979, he had completed a full marathonthats 26.2 miles (42 km).
When he started, few people knew who he was, or what he was doing.
Photo: YouTube
Today we got up at 4:00 a.m., Fox said while he was still running.
As usual, it was tough.
If I died, I would die happy because I was doing what I wanted to do.
How many people could say that?
I went out and did 15 push-ups in the road and took off.
I want to set an example that will never be forgotten.
Sadly, Fox’s cancer returned, this time in his lungs.
Fox passed away from his cancer in June 1981.
Recently the Terry Fox Marathon was re-introduced in person across Canada.
Because of COVID-19, the event had taken place as a virtual walk for the past two years.
Over 650 communities across Canada ran with Fox’s perseverance for cancer research this year.
To date, Fox’s marathon legacy has raised over $850 million for cancer research.
