Why Every Child in Canada Knows Terry Fox
Terry Fox ran across Canada on one leg to fight cancer. Here’s why he’s revered, and why the world should remember his story.
The Boy Who Ran for Hope
Few names in Canada elicit universal admiration, but Terry Fox is one of them. His story is etched into the childhood of every Canadian student. His face, framed by wild brown curls and a look of fierce determination, is still found in schools, public murals, and on statues that stand like sentinels across the country. He didn’t conquer the world with athletic prowess or political influence. He ran. On one leg. For 143 days. Through pain, isolation, and near-total obscurity, Terry Fox ran to raise money for cancer research after losing his right leg to osteosarcoma at the age of 18.
It was called the Marathon of Hope, but it began more as a whisper than a national movement. He ran the equivalent of a full marathon every day for nearly five months in 1980, before cancer returned in his lungs and ended his journey. He was 22 when he died the following year. Yet his legacy, formed through struggle, humility, and astonishing grit, has outlived him by decades and inspired millions around the world.
The Run That Changed a Nation
At the time, few people believed Terry’s goal was achievable. He wanted to run across the entire country, over 5,000 kilometres from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia. He wore a primitive prosthetic limb, made of fibreglass and steel, which caused a painful, jerking gait. But he ran anyway. Every single day, often on roads without shoulders, under scorching heat or pouring rain, ignored by the media and passersby. Some days, cars would swerve toward him as drivers yelled slurs or laughed. Other days, he was completely alone.
It was only after he reached Ontario that the country began to take notice. Local news stations started covering his journey. Crowds began to gather. Donations began to climb. But even then, his effort remained grassroots. He ran with a modest support van and a few close friends. There was no corporate sponsorship. No coordinated campaign. Even the Canadian Cancer Society initially declined to help.
By the time he stopped running in Thunder Bay, Ontario, he had covered 5,373 kilometres in 143 days. He had pushed through unimaginable pain and fatigue. And he had done it not for fame, but to raise money, initially hoping for a dollar from every Canadian, for cancer research so that no one else would have to suffer as he had.
A Legacy Beyond Borders, But Mostly Unknown Outside Them
Ask any Canadian who Terry Fox is, and the answer will come quickly. Ask a classroom of schoolchildren, and you’ll find the same. His story is part of the curriculum. His values of perseverance, selflessness, and resilience are taught alongside reading and math. Each September, schools across Canada host the Terry Fox Run, where children collect donations and run to honour his legacy. Many don’t fully understand the pain he endured, but they understand the power of his example.
Outside of Canada, however, Terry Fox is almost unknown.
In the United States and elsewhere, his story remains obscure. Unlike athletes or celebrities, Terry wasn’t marketed internationally. No major documentaries are playing on Netflix, no annual runs in Times Square. Even though his Marathon of Hope has since grown into the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research, involving millions in over 60 countries, his name still doesn’t ring familiar in many households south of the border.
That’s a quiet tragedy in itself. Because in a world that so often celebrates flash over substance, there are few stories more worthy of international recognition than Terry’s.
The Cost of Silence and the Myth of the Model Hero
Terry Fox’s story also raises broader questions about who we choose to celebrate, and why.
In a cynical age, it is rare to find a public figure whose image has remained unmarred by scandal or self-interest. Terry died too young to be shaped or distorted by the machinery of fame. But even more importantly, he lived with such moral clarity that even now, over forty years later, there is no serious attempt to revise or challenge his legacy.
He never exploited his illness for sympathy. He never marketed himself as a victim. He didn't wait for approval or funding. He simply started running, fuelled by belief and discipline. His example shattered the myth that heroism requires success. Terry never finished his run, yet he accomplished far more than most people do in a lifetime.
Despite raising over $24 million during his life and billions since through the Terry Fox Foundation, bone cancer research remains underfunded. Rare cancers like osteosarcoma receive a fraction of the research attention that more common cancers do. Terry’s story continues to spotlight this disparity. But it also offers a roadmap: how one person, even without wealth or fame, can rally a nation.
Why Terry Fox Should Be on the Money
In recent years, there has been public pressure to feature Terry Fox on Canada’s currency. A 2020 national campaign to choose the face of the next five-dollar bill saw his name rise to the top of public polling. For many, this isn’t just a symbolic gesture. It is a recognition that Canada’s identity isn’t built on royalty or conquest, it’s built on ordinary people doing extraordinary things for others.
Terry didn’t wear a crown, and he wasn’t elected. He didn’t fight a war or win a championship. But he gave his life trying to ensure that others would have a better chance at living theirs. In a country that prides itself on values of equity, compassion, and perseverance, there is no more fitting face to represent those ideals.
Learning from Terry
The story of Terry Fox endures because it reminds us what individuals are capable of when they act with purpose. He wasn’t perfect, but he was sincere. He didn’t seek celebrity, but he became a national hero. He had no reason to believe his run would change the world, and yet, it did.
Americans, and people around the world, would do well to learn his story. Not because Canada needs more recognition, but because in an era dominated by cynicism, performance, and scandal, Terry’s story offers something refreshingly rare: a clear example of what integrity in action looks like.
Carrying the Flame Forward
We can honour Terry Fox by running. By donating. By teaching his story to the next generation. But more than that, we can honour him by choosing to act with courage and selflessness in our own lives. Terry didn’t wait for others to permit him. He didn’t let limitations define him. He saw suffering and chose to confront it head-on.
If his story moved you, share it with someone. If you believe more people should know his name, pass this along. If you’d like to help me keep telling stories like his, consider subscribing, referring a friend, or buying me a coffee.
Terry ran with hope in his heart, not knowing if anyone would follow. We have the chance now to carry that hope further.
What a moving tribute to such a true and remarkable hero. One of the finest. And yes, Terry Fox’s name
should
be known everywhere. Thank you.
I remember this time, vividly, and how we followed his progress on local television news. We marvelled at his determination and were greatly saddened when his cancer returned and forced him to give up his run. Cancer had not yet made its appearance in my life, but that wasn’t the point at the time. He exemplified all that was good in Canadians, and I didn’t know anyone who couldn’t get behind that. For me that was the pivotal moment, the time when I first became aware of how proud I was to be Canadian.