Thursday, April 15, 2010

Marathon of Hope

“I'm not a dreamer, and I'm not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.” ~Terry Fox

Thirty years ago this week, Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope. It started in St. John’s Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 with minimal attention, but enthusiasm for his quest quickly grew along with the miles he ran to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Terry was 18 years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer. While recovering in hospital from the amputation of his right leg, it was the suffering of the other patients – many of them children – that made him so determined to do something about it.
Terry ran an average of 42 km (26 miles) a day for 143 days, until the cancer that had spread to his lungs forced him to quit on September 1st, 1980. While he was disappointed in not being able to continue, he had succeeded in running 5,373 km (3,339 miles) across six provinces and winning a permanent place in the hearts of Canadians. Less than a year later, on June 28th 1981, Terry died at the age of 22.
When he began the Marathon of Hope, his goal was $1 for every Canadian – so at that time, $22 million. But since then, almost $500 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in his name. There is no doubt that Terry Fox, the boy who believed in miracles, has become the hero who continues to inspire everyone who knows his story.
For more information: http://www.terryfox.org/

10 comments:

Tabitha.Montgomery said...

Terry Fox is and always shall be
a huge inspiration for me as I try
to do my part in sharing hope,awareness and money for cancer research.We keep his hope alive :)

Excellent post!

Ronda Laveen said...

I read about him a couple of weeks ago in Christina's blog. She is trying to raise enough money to ride in BC Ride to Conquer Cancer. He is an inspiration...as are you.

Brian Miller said...

what an amazing story...yeah an inpiration to all of us...

Maha said...

I never heard of him but now, he almost made me cry. Such a great person!

Monkey Man said...

I remember his story. I volunteered for the American Cancer Society at the time. Quite a heroic story. It is more meaningful to me now that I am a cancer survivor.

Dulçe ♥ said...

It's great though it makes me sad too.
Great post dear F.

SandyCarlson said...

A profound story, as uplifting as it is humbling. Thank you.

Katherine Jenkins said...

Beautiful story you share here of strength and courage to make a difference in the world despite our own human frailties and limitations. Thanks for following my blog Lessons from the Monk I Married, I'm so happy to find you here, your blog is exactly what I've been looking for. It's hard to find real inspiration out there. This a very great find for me. Looking forward to reading more!

Felicitas said...

Thank you all for your beautiful comments! I was 13 years old when Terry began his quest. I vaguely remember my parents discussing it, as well as some of the media coverage surrounding it. At the time, I didn't personally know anyone with cancer, but I do recall being very fearful of it - because at that time, cancer was not something many people beat.

Terry's bravery in the face of his own death sentence was truly awesome! He was a warrior. And because of his efforts, and the efforts of others like him, cancer is no longer unbeatable. If that isn't inspiring, I don't know what is.

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