My Hero, Terry FoxBy Christian Poon, November 2009

Terry Fox was just eighteen years old when he

was diagnosed with bone cancer on his knee.

Amputation and chemotherapy left him with an

artificial leg, and memories of those still in the

cancer room. “There were kids my age and

younger, and you can’t just leave something like that and forget about it; I

couldn’t, anyway. I had to try and do something about it” (Terry Fox

Foundation, 2009).

When Terry Fox was diagnosed with cancer, not only was his leg cut-off, but he was

inspired to help children living with the same disease. As a result of this experience,

Terry began a journey to run across Canada in order to raise money for cancer research.

I had only first heard about him when I was a young boy in school. The following paper

will reveal what made Terry so special and how his legacy has influenced my own life.

On April 12, 1980 at the eastern-most point of Canada, the Marathon of Hope had

begun. Terry would do it by running 42 kilometers every single day. In the beginning,

few people knew of the twenty-one year old and donations were spotty, but Terry kept

running. He would rise at 4am and run 20 kilometers, rest, and then run 22 kilometers in

the afternoon seeking donations across lonely expanses of highway. Terry ran despite

the weather, the pain, the exhaustion, and eventually people began to notice the

significance of what he was doing. In the face of such challenges, Terry persevered and

his courage had inspired the entire country. The goal was to raise $1 from every

Canadian, and he always wanted to make sure that the focus was about cancer and not

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his fame. In the end, Terry had run 3,339 km before having to stop because his cancer

had spread. Shortly before his death, his goal of raising $24 million had been realized.

He was an inspirational hero to many, but what inspired Terry were the children he was

trying to help.

Terry Fox only lived for twenty-two years, and yet his example has inspired my

own life; to always persevere. When I was a young boy, I was involved in a car accident.

The pain was great and I could not walk for about a week. I was scared and I struggled

with the pain. I remember my father telling me how Terry only had one leg, yet

managed to run a marathon every single day. Knowing this, I was inspired and

encouraged to rehabilitate my leg and walk again. As a result of this experience and

Terry’s influence, I have been living my life knowing the importance of persevering

through challenging situations. In addition, I have also been inspired to live a life worth

living.

I always admired how Terry had remained true to his beliefs. Despite his rising

fame and recognition, Terry faithfully followed the purpose behind his Marathon of Hope:

to help raise money and awareness for cancer research. In terms of my own life, I was

not always true to myself. I had once pursued a career for mostly financial reasons, and

as a consequence my own personal values and beliefs had suffered. Over time, I had

grown dissatisfied with what I was doing. Terry was once quoted as saying, “I remember

promising myself that should I live, I would prove myself deserving of life” (Terry Fox

Foundation, 2009). Reflecting upon my own actions and my own life, I decided to help

people by becoming a teacher. As a result, Terry’s example has helped me to find what

is truly important in my own life.

Terry represented courage, determination, and selflessness in the face of his

disability and illness. I am proud to say that Terry showed how the impossible could be

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done, and at the same time his legacy has had a significant influence on my personal

life. I will always remember the importance of remaining true to my own beliefs, and to

always persevere through difficult times.

Bibliography

Terry Fox Foundation – A single dream. A world of hope. The Terry Fox Foundation.

2009. Web. November 21, 2009.

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I don’t feel that this is unfair. That’s the thing about cancer. I’m not the only one, it

happens all the time to people. I’m not special. This just intensifies what I did. It gives it

more meaning. It’ll inspire more people. I just wish people would realize that anything’s

possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try.

“I remember promising myself that should I live, I would prove myself deserving of life.”

Almost 30 years ago, the shallows of the Atlantic in St. John’s Newfoundland was the

starting line for Canada’s Terry Fox. From there, he would head west into rural

provinces, through the streets of Toronto, across countless canyons and finish near his

home in Vancouver, where the sun sets into the Pacific. (ESPN, 2005)

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He was once quoted as saying, “I remember promising myself that should I live, I

would prove myself deserving of life.”

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