Terry Fox

Hey! I know this is TOTALLY NON-ANIMAL JAM related... but I'm posting about Terry Fox since the Terry Fox run in tomorrow.

Terry Fox had been diagnosed with a tumour in his left leg and had to get it amputated.

He then realized his dream to run across Canada to collect one dollar from every Canandian for the Cancer Society. Even though, he had a artificial leg, he kept devoted to his dream.

"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." -Terry Fox

He ran the Marathon of Hope in 1980.

"I've seen people in so much pain. The little bit of pain I'm going through is nothing." -Terry Fox

September 1, 1980 – It was a dull day in Northern Ontario when Terry Fox ran his last miles.

He had started out strong that morning and felt confident. The road was lined with people shouting, “Don't give up, you can make it!” words that spurred him and lifted his spirits.

But after 18 miles he started coughing and felt a pain in his chest.

Terry knew how to cope with pain. He'd run through it as he always had before; he'd simply keep going until the pain went away. He ran 3 more miles before having to end his Marathon.

After the amputation of his right leg to rid the cancer, it turned out that the cancer had been spread to his lungs.

He underwent treatment for his cancer.

For 3,339 miles, from St John's, Newfoundland, Canada's eastern most city on the shore of the Atlantic, he'd run through six provinces and now was two-thirds of the way home. He'd run close to a marathon a day, for 143 days. No mean achievement for an able-bodied runner, an extraordinary feat for an amputee.

Terry died before dawn on June 28th, 1981 after slipping into a coma.

It was his favourite time to run.

In the February of the following year of Terry's death, $24.17 million was raised for cancer research, realising Terrry Fox's dream of a dollar from every Canadian.

If there is anyway I can get out there again and finish it I will." - Terry Fox